For the eyes of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage
Lord Hokage,
I have completed a preliminary investigation regarding the current political situation of the Nara clan. The council has won over many ninja against the clan, despite the public optimism of the clan's leader and yourself in regards to negotiations, the council is getting impatient especially at the insistence of Danzo. My observations and those of my counterparts in Anbu confirm my beliefs; the day you sought to avoid seems to be coming soon.
To that end, under your orders, I have been searching for those that might lend their voice for a move to convince the council to wait. The ninja I have encountered may have the skill, but I fear that in this diplomatic battle they would not have the position or experience to change the council's mind. It has been difficult, not that there has been a shortage of volunteers, but most will be split in their loyalties were the council decide to ignore any argument and thus serious reliance upon many of them would not be advised.
That is not to say there are no members of the group that can be completely overlooked; two powerful men are among those who support delaying the council, I would imagine their names would not come as much of a surprise for they are Chouza Akimichi and Inoichi Yamanaka. It is evident that they along with their clans would support the delay and perhaps to a more concerning extent the Nara Clan itself, though no doubt the pact between these clans would cause the council to question their motives. The truth is that the majority of the shinobi ranks trust both the council and you, Hokage, if you were to go against the council many would be split in their loyalties.
Per your orders Kakashi Hatake is on his way to the Nara clan lands to test the waters and if needed, has your authority to do what he deems fit to bring this situation through with the least bloodshed possible. I doubt that Shikaku Nara welcomes the idea of bloodshed, but if necessary, I do not doubt that he has a plan, the clan's intelligence is more powerful than even their shadow jutsu.
Most importantly however, is the fact that time is working against us, I fear Danzo and the council is already mobilizing their forces and alarmingly the Uchiha seem to be involved, but with their intense suspicion of me I cannot ascertain more. It is the official suggestion of the Anbu division that if the council decided to eliminate the Nara clan the only options would be to allow it or risk open civil war.
I will write again once I have discovered any new information regarding the situation. If nothing comes of it, I will attend to the more immediate matter of dealing with any possible consequences of this all. We can only hope that we have enough time to hold back this storm.
Itachi Uchiha , ANBU Captain, Ninja of Konoha.
Make us enemies of every people on earth, but prevent a civil war.
Prologue
Shikamaru Nara walked through the forest of the clan, having spent much of the morning watching the clouds and time float by in the great forests in his family's estates. Indeed, the clothes he wore held a number of grass stains, destined for cleaning at the hands of his mother, no doubt along with a lot of annoyance directed at him. His parents might gripe that he was wasting much of his early youth, strolling after deer in the woods, spending every hour he had on the fields with his eyes trained toward the sky, instead of trying to learn the duties the son of Shikaku Nara, one of the most important men in Konoha, as was supposed to attend to, but Shikamaru couldn't help it. He was born with a love of clouds and an easygoing attitude, along with the current personality that was his birthright.
When his old man, Shikaku, had tried to get him to understand the complicated intricacies of politics and the strengths and allegiances of the various clans, Shikamaru had instead daydreamed of himself wandering though open fields or lying down next to rivers, feeling the ground underneath him, or simply sleeping with only his hands cushioning the back of his head. Instead of paying attention to his mother regarding how to act and behave in the proper manner of a clan heir, he'd preferred to doze off, although that usually ended with him having to hear an annoying speech from her regarding manners.
Ever since he started attending the ninja academy, however, the problems he had to evade most were the outraged instructors of Konoha when he fell asleep, didn't turn in work, or when he was feeling particularly productive, just lazily do any work assigned to him. Fortunately, two things had saved Shikamaru from any real trouble; his surprising intellectual ability to at least do the bare minimum without any effort on his part, as well as the fact that the resident class clown Naruto Uzumaki usually made the teachers, especially Iruka, divert their attention to him constantly, leaving Shikamaru happily napping in the back of the classroom, usually with Choji gleefully eating a bag of chips next to him and Ino constantly arguing with Sakura over the resident Uchiha so much that it would occasionally wake him up.
Shikamaru now walked through the clan compounds, up to the house that rested almost at the center of the clan holdings, if one were to look at it, no one would guess the family of the clan head resided in it. The clan members usually greeted him with a short "Morn'in Shikamaru" as he walked past and he would return the greeting, even though it was sometimes troublesome to be in a clan it was probably the best family he could have ever hoped to be part of, as it reflected his personality perfectly.
It seemed to be a rule that if one did not have a lazy personality they could not call themselves a Nara he thought to himself, he couldn't remember one single member of their clan that wasn't like that, except maybe some of the females, they were just plain scary, prime example being his mother. His old man had once said it was because they were the only type of women who would put up with Nara males, personally he just thought all the clan males were masochists.
Still, there were definitely worse clans to be a member of, although he knew the Hyuga were comrades and should be respected he would shudder at the thought of ever being a member of their clan, their stiff way of life was in no way attractive to him. As far as he could see the only Hyuga he knew that seemed different was a classmate of his called Hinata, and it was obvious to whoever knew her that her own clan laid a big weight on her shoulders, probably leading to her social awkwardness.
As he got closer to the house, he could see the clan training grounds where long lines of clansmen were either assembling, or already carrying out combat exercises. 'Looks like dad wasn't joking about tough times coming ahead' Shikamaru mused. He'd heard talk of some disagreement between the clan and the leaders of Konoha, but he couldn't remember exactly what. 'Probably just some new political argument, the council seemed to love stirring up trouble'.
All Shikamaru knew was that the usually relaxed Nara were getting worked up about something and it wasn't over anything as mundane as taxes.
As Shikamaru walked past a column of clansmen, heading towards his home, he caught sight of something not usually seen in these parts, a group of men bearing the symbol of the Uchiha on them. Shikamaru swore under his breath. While the Uchiha were not exactly on Hyuga levels of stiffness they were pretty close, he would have much preferred a visit from the Akimichi or even the Yamanaka.
As he neared his house, a member of a group that was apparently guarding his house came over and led him in. "Welcome home. A good day of nothing, I take it?". Most people would view that remark as some sort of insult, but among the clan a day of just nothing but relaxation was something to always hope for.
"Yeah, it was. It's good to see you again Daen. Mind telling me why the Uchiha are here, of all places?"
"Fugaku Uchiha is here, at the council's request. Apparently, he is part of the ongoing negotiations between your father and the council. That's what I'm here to see you about. Your father has asked I inform you to go to the main compound; he wishes to speak to you."
"About what?"
Daen shrugged. "Don't exactly know. Your father simply asked for you to be told."
"Alright, guess I'll head there." Shikamaru could only sigh at the end, his plan of taking a quick nap would be put on hold.
After raising his hand in goodbye Shikamaru headed toward the main building, and went straight through the double doors at the end, leading to the main hall of the clan's public building where many would congregate to pass the time, the simple chambers hung with clan symbols and paintings illuminating the history of the family; a copy of the pact between themselves, the Yamanaka and the Akimichi, a painting of their descendents clad in the bulky armor of the past, a document written by the founders of the clan, all examples of the history of a close family he was secretly proud to be a part of, and one that his father told Shikamaru he would have to one day lead, although Shikamaru hoped that wouldn't happen for a good number of years, and secretly he hoped he could just pass it on to some future nephew or other.
He could see four men stood before a roaring fire at the fire end of the hall, while a number of guards from his clan stood a respectful distance away. Two men were clad in the clothing of the military police force, flanking a man with similar clothing that reminded him slightly of one of his classmates, Sasuke.
'Wasn't his father the head of the clan?'
If his guess was right Fugaku himself was in front of him, the head of the Uchiha and Military Police, a force with standing only below the Anbu and a mind to actually make use of their sway in things other than the military force in Konoha; "I expect the rest will be arriving in some time, and we can speak tomorrow. I apologize for the inconvenience but I hope all of this this eventually leads to an understanding between us".
"No, no, the current state of affairs has us all scrambling, doesn't it? I only received the notice from the council about a peace delegation some time ago myself" he heard a very familiar voice answer Fugaku's.
Shikamaru would never understand how his normally mellow father had managed to cultivate his skills for what he considered troublesome politics or even grand strategy. To friends and clan he was the epitome of an easygoing man but when he had to become a leader his personality became a serious one. He assumed the needs of the clan during the last ninja war had forged him into a man Shikamaru might never fully understand. The men in front of him were heroes in the last war, they might have even fought side by side for survival but now, suspicions were at an all time high and tensions were not far behind.
At that moment, his father looked up and saw him. Many people said Shikamaru was his father's son; he'd inherited his father's face, body and even hairstyle. The joke running around him as he grew was that in fact he was Shikaku's little brother or a clone through some scientific process, him seemingly being a carbon copy of Shikaku. Shikamaru had great respect for his father, for Nara Shikaku had been the standard of a man that he knew he had to be: a tactician on the battlefield, a peacemaker in the clan councils, and a father who would nudge his son in a direction and then let the son do as he would want, and from time to time correct his ways if he saw something go wrong.
His thoughts were broken as his father's voice brought him back to reality. "I didn't see you there" Shikaku looked around from the discussion with a small nod as a greeting, running his hand through his goatee. He turned to his visitor "Fugaku, you remember my son?"
Uchiha Fugaku looked over at him; though a warm smile was plastered on his mouth, Shikamaru could see it didn't reach his eyes, which seemed to be coldly scrutinizing him. Fugaku and his father were about the same height, with black hair and a tired complexion, but while his father's personality was usually easygoing, and very understanding the few times Shikamaru talked to him about his problems. Fugaku's personality seemed to be that of a stern and uncompromising man, he felt a small pang of sympathy for Sasuke in that moment. Whatever thoughts were going through his mind, his mouth opened with a certain smoothness. "I see he will grow to be a great shinobi. Pleased to see you again, lad".
Though in truth Shikamaru wanted nothing more than to turn around and walk outside the room, he knew enough about etiquette to know such an action would be ill befitting of a clan heir. Instead, he plastered an equally false smile on his face, straightened his sagging form and gave a full bow. "And you, Fugaku".
"My son, Sasuke, should be in the same class as you if I remember correctly. I hope the two of you are getting along well enough."
Shikamaru nodded towards him as Fugaku took his leave of the place after bidding farewell.
Of all the classmates he'd gotten to know, it seemed Sasuke was a decent enough person who definitely didn't take up his father's personality, although personally he saw his enthusiasm for training to be slightly off putting for any deep friendship.
Shikaku turned to his younger son "At any rate, I summoned you here for a reason. While I am busy with the present situation , I'm leaving you in charge of the clan".
"Wha-! What are you talking about?" Shikamaru blurted out. Shikaku smirked softly, it wasn't often that his son sported an expression other than indifference, and answered "I'm sure you'll more than prove yourself, the clan advisers will be with you all this time, and no doubt your mother won't let you burn this place to the ground. After all, what do you think I've been training you all this time for?"
Shikamaru's plans of later perhaps going back to the green fields for the nap had evaporated immediately. In its place came a terrifying image of himself sitting in the clan hall among stacks of papers, listening to endless complaints, pleas and petitions for his time, aid and money from the people of his clan. It was the duty expected of him, he knew, and deep down he knew that the truth was that it wasn't as bad as he painted it out to be but he still felt he'd sooner take his chances with his own mother when she was mad at him than to actually have to do real work.
It was true that they had been recently taking training very seriously. Before his parents were content with him training at his own pace as long as he at least kept up with the minimums of the academy standards. Now he was drilled almost daily by his father with emphasis on their clan jutsu and mind problems. There was no doubt that this was all caused by the current state of affairs, it was painfully obvious enough his father was trying to prepare for any situation that might arise, Shikamaru just never believed it would go so far. He nodded and reluctantly accepted the responsibility.
"This is no needless task. I ask you to assume a great responsibility. The clan advisers will be able to take care of the majority of things for you and they will generally be the ones to ensure peace is maintained in the clan. Still, I expect you to oversee all that happens as what they decide will be done in your name and by extension mine, this will be a good experience for you so don't slack off, I have informed them and most importantly your mother of this, along with informing you of their decisions they will be teaching you what they can about how the clan operates." Shikamaru nodded morosely, trying not to think of the endless reams of politics he would spend the next few weeks, if not months, drowning in. The way his father put it Shikamaru would be basically nothing more than a rubber stamp with eyes that were suppose to learn what was happening around him, and he had no problem with that, but most likely that would not be the full extent of it.
His father smirked at his son's discomfort and smiled. "Don't worry I felt the same way you did when your grandfather did this to me, and I turned out mostly alright". He nodded to one of the guardsmen standing to attention to one side of the hall. "Please, show Kakashi in".
The guard returned a moment later through a side door, leading an intriguing man Shikamaru had never seen in. His looks were mostly covered by a mask, although that couldn't hide his distinctive white hair. The man was wearing the standard jonin outfit of Konoha. This was interesting by itself, as he was sure the person who stood before him was not just any Kakashi, but the son of the famous White Fang of Konoha the Copy Ninja Kakashi. Judging from the posture of his body he could see that this man would blend in flawlessly with their clan if it wasn't for his hair.
His thoughts were assailed by intrigue and curiosity to be in his presence, a man who'd no doubt fought countless battles against foreign ninja to protect Konoha, but was seemingly hiding from being discovered by the Uchiha. Shikamaru again bowed and the man named Kakashi gave a soft smile through his mask and a small nod in acknowledgment.
With that Shikaku turned to his visitor, "Whatever the Hokage's reasons, I'll take his support. We need all the help we can get with the council". Kakashi nodded, "Yes, we received information that the Uchiha would be involved but we couldn't discover to what extent, that is my reason for coming, though I must admit, this move from the council has left us perplexed". At this, his father turned to him again and gave him a new instruction; to find his mother and get ready for the days ahead. The soft, but firm tone in Shikaku's voice made it clear it was no request. Sensing the conversation no longer had any part for him, Shikamaru bowed respectfully to his father and Kakashi. He exited the room by a side door and headed towards his home.
When he entered the house he could already sense that his mother wanted to talk to him.
Shikamaru at once groaned. "We aren't really going to start today are we?"
"Everyone around us is working hard Shikamaru, and I did not go through all the pains of labor just to have you answer sarcastically with everything that is happening."
And so Shikamaru was made to go through an entire speech of how he was not suppose to yawn, sigh, or daydream when meeting with the advisers. He had made a momentary lapse of judgment by saying troublesome in the middle of her speech which ended with him being forced to go through another lecture about being careful with one's words. When his mother noticed his lack of attention she used her tone of voice that told him she wasn't just complaining but was absolutely serious.
"Shikamaru, we are going through a turbulent chapter in this clan's history and you must be aware of what is happening, there will be consequences because of all this bickering, the only question is how much and for whom."
At these words Shikamaru knew that he no longer had the option of paying minimum attention and although it would be hard-work, if his mother was this adamant then it would be best to heed her words.
When Yoshino saw the realization dawn on her son's face she was both relieved and saddened. As much as she loved her son and knew her husband had been training him diligently she knew he would not be ready if any of the heavier consequences happened. She wished she could protect him from everything that was happening as a loving mother would, but the ninja in her knew this was impossible, and so she prepared him to the best of her abilities, knowing full well that it might not be enough.
As Shikamaru listened to the rest of his mother's instructions he couldn't help but notice a sadness in her eyes. He knew something big was happening but he just did not know what, which meant that even though he knew everything he would now be taught would be important a small part of his mind still dreamed of clouds, open fields and lazy days.
Shikamaru did not know that soon his dreams would soon be replaced with thoughts of uselessness, betrayal, and revenge.
Shikamaru heard a scream followed by deep breaths and wet crunching noises, which barely registered as the world receded as if he were watching everything from a distance and found it mildly fascinating. He found himself observing the way Daen's blood made a red mirror reflecting the moon and the figures in it.
It was the silhouette raising a sword to strike Daen again reflected in the blood that snapped him out of his thoughts and brought him back to attention. His training took over his body and he formed his clan's trademark jutsu causing the would be killer to freeze like a statue allowing Daen to promptly stab him with his own short sword. Shikamaru felt the warmth of a small amount of blood that had splattered from the man soak into the cloth of his sleeve.
Shikamaru tried to recover from his shock, watching the man fall towards his fallen fellow, a man that had been seemingly cut down earlier, who lay on the floor as he made gurgling sounds that emanated from his slit throat. Shikamaru could only look at the dying man before him, willing him to speak again, to tell him what to do, what the hell had just happened? Cold dread formed in his middle and slowly crept its way up his spine, and he understood with a silent scream of denial that the man was dead.
For seconds suspended in eternity, he couldn't move even enough to draw a breath. Astutane's ordering rang in his ears but he couldn't think—dazedly wondered what that noise was and wished it would stop. A scream outside his window startled him out of his staring. He cast one last despairing look at the cold eyes of the dead man, ordering him to say anything, but there was no response, and the ghosts of long lectures crowded the room and prompted him to action when his willpower couldn't do it. One of the easiest ways to die is staying shocked and still.
"We need to get out of here Shikamaru!" Daen shouted to Shikamaru who was staring wide eyed at the corpses. He walked over to the other prone man. His face and arms were covered by a pool of blood, his facial features hardly recognizable through the liquid but there was no mistaking the Uchiha symbol on his clothes. He was still breathing. Shikamaru took a moment to look down at the man who had seemingly put a sword through Anzai's heart, a chunin that died long after that idea could ever enter his head before being practically screamed at by Daen to get his senses back to normal.
He stood for a moment, more warm blood pooling around his bare feet. A wave of nausea hit him, but he swallowed it down. He turned to Daen, who was directing him out of the room.
Shikamaru ran toward his belongings to grab the supplies his father had told him all ninja should keep at the ready. He readied himself as fast as he could but by the time he placed his weapons into their locations Daen was already forcibly dragging his body out of the room.
As he followed Daen he studiously avoided looking at the bodies of both Uchiha and Nara inside his once peaceful home.
As he heard the screams and sounds of destruction even from inside his home he wiped away the scared tears that he had not realized had fallen, then he deliberately shut off any feelings. He cleared his mind, especially of that part of himself that wanted to run screaming from the place. The part of himself that wanted nothing more than to run toward wherever his parents could be and weep and gnash his teeth was only stopped by the cold logic that he knew he would be killed if he did that. His only hope rested in the slim chance that a lone Jonin who was already heavily injured and an academy student had to get out of whatever this was.
Shikamaru glanced towards the door leading out to the guestrooms and then swung his gaze toward his parents' bedroom, his mother might be there but he knew his father had planned to have a meeting with Fugaku which presented another host of problems. He saw two men preparing to enter the room, as they moved toward the entrance to the bedchamber.
They were silent and communicating in a whispering manner. Shikamaru could only imagine his mother being scared and confused in that room with two intruders planning to break in even though he knew that would be ridiculous. His mother had been a chunin before he had come to this world and she was probably better prepared than himself at this point. Daen gave Shikamaru the hand signal for "ready jutsu" as he crept around the bedroom door and used his stealth to walk the length of the hallway. When they both got close enough to faintly hear the words coming from the men at the doorway, Daen gave Shikamaru the signal to proceed. Shikamaru watched as his shadow captured both men and held them in place, he wouldn't be able to hold it for long but it would not be necessary. Daen promptly used his short sword to slice the necks of the two men. Shikamaru could feel his nausea coming back but he pushed it away from his mind and turned his thoughts toward his mother.
Shikamaru pounded on his mother's door and whispered urgently for her. The door opened and his mother's strong hand pulled him inside the room before shutting the door again once Daen had entered. "I heard fighting outside. Are you hurt?" Yoshino spun Shikamaru around carefully looking under the blood splatter for any wounds to see if any of the blood was Shikamaru's before looking at Daen's wounded form and tending to him.
"Those men, they're killing everyone." Shikamaru felt a catch in his throat and his voice sounded hollow to his own ears.
"What? Then those were the screams that woke me up, so I barred the door. Did you see their emblems? They are Fugaku's men! That traitorous, snaking bastard!" Shikamaru watched as his mother clenched and unclenched her fists. "I never trusted or liked that man!"
"He betrayed us, he attacked while they rested here under the pretense of peace!" Shikamaru slapped the flat of his hand against the wood of the door hard enough to make his palm sting.
Yoshino continued to treat Daen only to stop suddenly and turn to Shikamaru, "Have you seen your father? He never came back."
What little mirth to be reunited with his mother that had been bubbling up died as quickly as it started, and he felt cold, "Maybe he stayed up with Fugaku."
"We must find him." His mother gripped his arm so tightly, Shikamaru was sure he would have bruises."Without his leadership the Nara have no chance of survival".
At this Daen started to move of his own accord. "That is the cold hard truth, but I have no doubt that your husband is already doing just that, what we need to do is get to safety, the protection of the clan heir must be secured."
Shikamaru grasped the handle to the door and looked back at his mother. A thought hit him with the physical force of a fist to the stomach."Mother we need to check on Father, we can't just run away." He tried to keep his voice calm, but his heart was squeezing painfully in his chest, and his breath didn't want to leave his lungs, they couldn't possibly be thinking of leaving without the old man.
"What if they went to your Father's first? What if he is dead?" At this Yoshino's face paled but she continued, "If that happens you must be safe, no one can harm you or the clan will truly fall into despair."
Shikamaru felt useless, he would not abandon his father without knowing what happened to him. "You know that isn't true! Father wouldn't die so easily and if the Uchiha planned this then all the exits we can think of were already taken into account, the only person who can plan an escape out of this is father!"
At this Daen reluctantly nodded and with his support Yoshino was forced agreed. "I'll go ahead, follow me but stay out of sight, if anything happens the two of you must escape, after all that is the whole purpose of this." With that he opened the door and gave both of them the hand signal to follow. He checked the hallway, scanning it for any hostile force. Seeing none, he signaled the all clear and they both started to follow behind him.
Shikamaru stopped at the doorway that lead to the outside world, his mind not wanting to admit to what it saw. His vision swam into gray and then came back into horrifyingly clear focus. The strength he had when arguing to find his father vanished when he saw the battlefield that was outside of his home. The entire compound seemed to be set ablaze with fiery explosions providing ample light to contrast with the dark sky.
Among some of the bodies on the ground there was one dead Uchiha ninja lying on the ground, a small, unique, sharp, wicked little ceremonial kunai made for an academy student sticking out from his eye socket. The dagger was one Shikamaru had given to a friend who had started the academy as a birthday gift, so long ago. A lifetime ago.
The girl had gotten hurt badly in trying to defend herself. From the positions of the bodies, she had been trying to shield the other children. They lay together, the girl's arms across a little unmoving chest. The blood pooled beneath them, so much damn blood! The Nara clan compound was turning into a lake of it.
This time when the nausea welled up he couldn't stop it, and Shikamaru turned to the outside of the door and retched. When he turned back it was to see his mother with concerned eyes but a hardened face.
Her mother's green eyes bore into Shikamaru's, "We need to get out of here Shikamaru, this cannot happen to you, understood?"
Shikamaru felt tears welling up, but he swallowed them down and buried them. "Yes, mother."
His mother looked at him, grasping his arm in a gesture of comfort. Then the group of three could hear sounds of a fight occurring between a large group of Uchiha and a handful of Nara. Shikamaru looked closely and recognized some of the faces of those outnumbered but none of them were his father.
Shikamaru started to take out his kunai to help but was stopped by his mother "We can't kill them all."
For a moment all he had in his mind was confusion, there were clansmen that needed help and they wouldn't offer their support? When the logic of not getting involved in a fight that was obviously already lost surfaced he felt sick with the idea of leaving them to their deaths, but it was true, an injured jonin, a retired chunin and an academy student would not be able to change the outcome at all.
He nodded to his mother once and started looking toward Daen who had been examining him and with that nod continued to move toward his last known location of Shikaku. As they moved on he tried to block the sounds of the fight that they had abandoned before even entering it.
Shikamaru was beginning to worry about the injuries that the jonin had sustained protecting him, although his mother had done what she could it was obviously having an effect on the man.
Daen stopped them again at a junction between the corridor leading to where they had come from and an atrium. Seeing that it was clear, he motioned him and his mother forward. They had almost reached the bottom of the ramp leading past the atrium when one of their clansmen came running up. His dark hair was slick with sweat, and his face a mask of fear. He held a sword in his hands with a death grip. Shikamaru recognized him as a newly promoted chunin, his name was Koin, if he was remembering correctly. "They're storming the compound entrance, I'm getting out of here!" His voice was panicked, and he started to turn to run.
Daen grabbed him by the arm, "Think, you idiot! If you come across the Uchiha, they'll easily kill you! Stay with us. We need every man we can get to escort the clan heir." Koin looked at Shikamaru, seeing he was covered in blood.
The panicked look in Koin's eyes lessened but did not leave, "I'm sorry, your right. I'll help as much as I can."
Koin nodded and started to walk hesitantly down the ramp ahead of him. He checked the corner and reported, "The Uchiha who were following me are here." Daen had only a second to pull the man back in the corridor as several kunai flew past where Koin had his head a moment before. "Thank you, sir." He gave the jonin a nervous smile.
They all readied to enter battle with the men around the corner which were a handful according to Koin, the fight behind them with the outnumbered Nara was most likely over and if they headed that way they would be found by a large group of no longer distracted Uchiha, chances were better in trying to fight the group here than trying to backtrack. Since he was deemed too valuable to put in direct danger Shikamaru would support from a distance with his shadow jutsu while the remaining three would fight in close quarters. The Uchiha were taken by surprised expecting to only find a single fleeing straggler.
With that surprise the two men in front were cut down by the clansmen as soon as the fight started. Daen began to fight with who seemed to be the leader of the group while Koin and his mother fought another Uchiha who had managed to avoid the first attacks. That left one Uchiha who was readying a jutsu and although he didn't know what it was he knew it was a bad idea to let him finish it.
With that he activated his jutsu and kept the man still, it took all he had just to keep the man from moving. The injuries Daen had sustained were becoming more evident as he slowly began losing to his opponent and was only rescued when the remaining two of their group had dealt with their own opponent. The leader might have been able to hold out against two of them but three at the same time was too much, soon his defense fell and he was left on the floor, blood spreading out from his body.
With his teammates dead all it took was a slice to the neck and the man Shikamaru had been holding was eliminated. With the danger gone they regrouped, Shikamaru knew that no time soon would he be able to rest but right now he felt he couldn't even extend his shadow double its natural length.
Soon they came to an intersection that was blocked by flaming debris. In the light of the fire, Shikamaru could see Nara and Uchiha clansmen fighting each other. With no other choice the group joined the fray with Shikamaru forced to fight with a kunai for lack of chakra. It was here that instead of helping to kill someone with his shadow he had actually killed someone by himself.
Shikamaru had always expected he would feel something on his first kill, although he hadn't expected it to be so soon, when he looked into the eyes of the man he had stabbed from behind he tried to feel satisfaction as he remembered the girl who had died protecting powerless children, but in the end all he felt was emptiness.
When it was all said and done, the Uchiha all lay dead, and they had lost several of their own. His mother approached him, "That loud pounding noise, they must be trying to break through the gates. And the Uchiha must be everywhere."
"If the Uchiha are already inside why would they want to open the gates?" Shikamaru looked at his mother's face, shining with a mixture of sweat and blood.
"They want to let someone in, but who would help the Uchiha in this?" Yoshino looked in the direction of the gates.
"What if this isn't the sole act of the Uchiha?" Hearing Daen say this Shikamaru swallowed hard after the implications hit him. His stomach felt as if it had ice in it. The only ones that would support the Uchiha doing this was the council because of the rift between them and the clan, and if that was true all of Konoha could be set against them.
"Listen, Shikamaru, we haven't much time. You must escape. If Shikaku and you...if Shikaku and you die, the entire Nara command line dies with you. If the Uchiha are inside, they must already be in control of the situation. We must use whatever exit we can." his mother's eyebrow cocked at this in their code Do you hear me?.
Shikamaru nodded, but grumbled under breath, "I won't leave any of you behind!"
"Then survive and keep your memories of us with you." Yoshino gripped Shikamaru's arm, giving him what he and his father referred to as the look. It brooked no argument. Shikamaru forced a smile and nodded again, giving his mother's hand a squeeze.
Yoshino looked at the remaining clansmen awaiting orders from the recent battle, "Go and help at the front gates." They all nodded save two, who lingered.
"We would prefer to stay and guard your son." Yoshino just nodded toward Daen and motioned the man to lead the way with Koin taking up the rear. They all turned back to the library, which was close. One of their guesses was to see if Shikaku had made his command center in it. They entered the library, and there lay many of the seniors. Men and women that had taught the young about the history of their clan, all that knowledge and wisdom gone in an instant.
"Shikaku isn't here, he must be at the gates directing the defense directly." Please let him be at the gates!
They took one last look around his family's library to make sure they weren't leaving a wounded Nara behind before his mother gently tugged his shoulder. They all filed out of the library. Shikamaru threw one last look over his shoulder at his former teachers before starting down the ramp towards the front gates.
His mother stopped him halfway down the ramp, "We are getting near the family treasury. The family possessions lie inside. We must take what we can so they don't fall into enemy hands. We have time to get it."
They all turned and made their way to the treasury. The guards with whom he remembered he had played a game of cards a couple of days ago laid on the floor dead, defending the inner chamber. It looked as though some Uchiha had tried to open the thick oaken door by force but had given up. He put a drop of his blood on the seal of the door and it opened.
The air in the treasury was still, the big booming sounds of the siege on the gates muffled. There were more stacks of books, some written by his own relatives. Diaries, journals, rare and beloved books handed down from generation to generation of Nara were here along with the most important papers, including a copy of his father's past plans of strategy if he ever needed them, birth certificates, marriage certificates and the like.
Sadly only that which was necessary could be taken so the group gathered whatever form of paper currency they could found along with weapons or anything too valuable to leave behind, unceremoniously stuffing it in a bag handed to him.
After collecting all they could in the amount of time they dared to spend in the treasury they went to the gates. As expected the fight was probably the fiercest here, and as they got closer they could see the man they had been searching for all this time. Shikaku and the elite of the Nara were fighting the Uchiha men who could only be trying to open the gates to what they suspected were the Konoha forces. The booming noise was even louder here and he could only wonder at what they were using in an attempt to break the gates. The group found themselves in the middle of a free for all not having time to think of anything except to stay as far away as possible and dodge anything that came at them whether by purpose or chance.
The place was utter chaos. What seemed to take hours took in reality only a few moments. Shikamaru looked around at the dead bodies littering the hall. He turned when he heard his father talking to a group of clansmen, "Go after those Uchiha. Keep those bastards away as long as you can, no doubt they only retreated to get reinforcements." He watched him turn toward her and her mother, "You're both alive, good, that means we still have a chance."
Shikamaru grasped his arm; it was apparent his father was still thinking about whatever brilliant strategy he had in his head, but all he wanted was to leave with his parents. "We need to get out of here!"
"The evacuation has already started, I tried to send some men toward you but it seems the Uchiha intercepted them. I need to hold the gates as long as possible. Join the evacuation, and join it quickly!"
Shikamaru looked at his father. He had lost many of his friends, his childhood innocence, his teachers, and his home. He didn't want to lose his father. "Come with us!"
"If I do that, you won't make it out before the gates fall." He looked at his wife, "Please, go. When last I saw the forces outside they were full of Anbu waiting to get in, Konoha will not let us escape easily. The only thing holding them back are the clan seals, and the only way to get past that soon enough to block our escape is through this gate. If there is time we will try to pull back but for now we hold the gates."
Shikaku started to turn away from them and go to the gates. Shikamaru grabbed his arm moving to stand in front of him, "No, you have to come with us!"
He simply looked at him with a funny little pained smile on his lips, his eyes sparkling with something he could not read. "Please, go. Shikamaru...I don't want you to die." Shikaku leaned down and hugged him, his father had never shown much physical contact and before he knew it tears formed in his eyes. Shikaku then spun him around and gave him a gentle, yet firm, nudge on the shoulder towards the direction of the groups of people evacuating the compound.
Shikamaru was too stunned to do anything but walk obediently towards them. His mother gave his father a sad smile, "Make them pay... I love you."
"My heart will always be with the two of you." Shikamaru turned to see Shikaku, his father, moving away and giving orders to those who would stay behind. Fighting to hold back the Uchiha to save what was left of their clan.
Shikamaru turned and walked out, leaving his father behind among a group of Nara clansmen who knew they were meant to hold the gates until their death, making a last stand, while he tried to convince himself that his father would somehow live.
Shikamaru felt his stomach churning. He wanted to grab his father and drag him with them. He wanted to go back in time and somehow save all those who were dying. He wanted return to that moment that was only days ago and seemed like years, and kill Fugaku in the hall as he stood talking to his father even if it was impossible for a kid like him to kill a clan head.
He felt his stomach threatening to empty itself again, and he was developing a splitting headache. The cuts he had and the burns from barely escaping a couple of Uchiha and their famous fire jutsu in the last fight were starting to be felt as the effects of the adrenaline started to subside. He felt exhausted suddenly, as if the air had become heavy and yet not even an hour had probably gone by since the start of this whole mess. Then he heard the desperate screaming coming from down the corridor straight ahead.
Things were getting much worse, as what seemed like a platoon of Uchiha had manged to get to their evacuation routes and were killing anyone who they could reach. Soon small groups of his own clansmen arrived to try to give the evacuees some time but it was painfully obvious they were outnumbered and soon they too would be cut down.
His mother, Daen and Koin kept moving while trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. They passed a young man who was sitting up, shaking his head with a bundle in his arm and a dead woman resting her head on his shoulders. Shikamaru pushed the thought that asked what was in the bundle away, he already doubted that after this he would be able to sleep peacefully for a long time.
As they kept going they got closer to a group that had recently arrived and was watching a close fight going on, Shikamaru managed to overhear a man who had multiple bandages over his body, "We can't hold out much longer, We need to leave while they haven't spotted us."
Then a man who seemed to be the leader spoke in a harsh tone. "Quiet, pick your targets and get ready to go in, we keep the Uchiha occupied for as long as we can, we need to give our people at least a chance to get out of the village."
"We barely survived that last fight ourselves, we have no chance in this one. There's no point in staying ourselves whe-"
"Your family could be the one's we are protecting, these are people who don't have a chance if we leave." With that the man was silenced by his commander.
Eventually the commander of the group noticed Shikamaru's group and walked toward Daen "You people don't look badly hurt, keep on moving if you have nothing to do here, there wont be much time until the Uchiha control this place." Daen shook his head sadly. "No, I'm sorry but seeing how things are all of you will need to come with us."
At this the man started to shake his head and seemed angry, although the anger seemed directed at himself. "I'm sorry, but we cant escort every group that goes through here, we don't have enough men, there are patrols like ours going around but honestly there's not much we can do if a force of Uchiha attacks. Your best bet is to run toward the exits and hope your one of the lucky ones."
As Shikamaru's mother stepped forward he could see the recognition come up on the man's face . "I'm sure you have your orders, but I am giving you new ones, the clan heir must survive, and now it's your mission to ensure that."
Shikamaru was conflicted over how he felt, he knew that it was wrong to have these men stop protecting the evacuation and instead protect him, it would mean others would die because of him as evidenced by the earlier argument between the commander and his subordinate, and still a part of him was so scared that it was hoping the man would agree with his mother.
The look on the man's face showed that he too understood what this would mean and for a moment Shikamaru thought he would refuse them. Soon though his face turned into one of resignation, it seemed that that even he believed the clan heir had to be protected, or maybe it was just that he was given an order by a superior.
Shikamaru couldn't help but wish he was not the heir or at least be ignorant of the fact that so many sacrifices were being made for him because of who his father was.
"Understood. Stay behind us. If there is fighting, I want all of you to run, and run fast."
Yoshino gave him a tired a nod and said her thanks. Shikamaru glanced at the other two in their group as they nodded their assent. "Let's go. We need to leave. The gates..." Shikamaru had to swallow hard at the thought of the gates bursting open on his father and those with him, "...the gates may not last much longer. We need to move now!" He desperately wanted to find his father alive after all this. Soon they were all running as fast as they could with their tired bodies.
Deep booming noises beating in time like the heart of some giant beast about to devour them all came from where the gate was. All he could think of was his father staying behind.
So far it had been all clear since the fight behind them that they had abandoned was giving them enough time to escape if everything went well, and so they moved forward, encountering other groups similar to theirs trying to escape. They were all going in the same general direction and all he could think about was wondering when the last time was there was such a large number of Nara in one place. He was about to smirk when he noticed cloth covered figures, stained with crimson blossoms, lying in various places around the paths. They hadn't been the first ones to try to escape through here and the reminders were all over the ground. He felt his emotions going haywire, he was just a kid, how was a kid suppose to react to all of this?
Soon his view had gone misty, and he realized when the tears spilled over that he was crying. It seemed ridiculous to him, he saw his tears as an annoyance in the current situation but he still could not stop them.
He felt an arm around his shoulder and when he looked up it was his mother, placing his head on her shoulder and hugging him. She gave him a few moments, all she felt they could spare. "We need to go, we need to leave."
Yoshino wiped his tears from his cheeks and set her face in a resolved expression. Shikamaru nodded, and turning to his new found guards kept following their backs.
Before long a man who he recognized from usually guarding his father appeared and on noticing him and Yoshino stopped to talk to the head of the group and then continued on his way. Whatever he said to the man was obviously important as his face turned into one of urgency. After speaking with his own men who then started to change direction he slowed down to Shikamaru and his group to report to Yoshino.
"Bad news, the Anbu have broken through the gates, all of our remaining forces are being overrun, and our intended exit has been taken over by the Uchiha and the forces stationed around it killed or in disarray, so we'll have try to leave through one of the remaining locations that are still under our control, they won't be able to hold out much longer if the current situation keeps getting worse, so we have to go as fast as we possibly can."
Things were getting even more desperate if their escape routes were being cut off, it seemed that doors were closing all around them, and the fact that the gates where his father had been were broken though sent worry through his head, and as if he could read his mind the man continued speaking.
"Our forces at the gate were forced to retreat when the gate opened, they seem to still be trying to hold out as small pockets of resistance, but it's only a matter of time."
Shikamaru wasn't sure if he wanted to hear that, only nodding in understanding, his father may have survived the gate opening but even if he did there was truly no hope for his escape, his father would have most likely made a last stand anyway just to give the rest of the clan more time to run. Shikamaru felt he would break down any moment and start crying but he could only keep moving, he couldn't waste the sacrifice his father made.
After what seemed like an eternity they had reached their destination, but the fact that the place was as much a battlefield as any other god forsaken place in the compound didn't fill him with the relief he thought he should have had. This time not only was it the Uchiha and Nara fighting each other, but the masked Anbu were there also. The Nara had the advantage primarily because of their numbers, everyone having retreated to places like this and thus their numbers mostly being concentrated at the exits, but as soon as the Uchiha also concentrated their forces at the exits after cleaning up the pockets of resistance along with the newly arrived Anbu reinforcements that were surely on their way, the Nara would be at a severe disadvantage.
They swiftly made their way to the exit, a small group among a larger herd of defenseless civilians and wounded shinobi whose only protection was a thin line of Nara holding the enemy back. Soon they could see a tunnel opening built into the wall, these exits were the only lifeline protecting them from being all out eliminated, and which continued on underground. As far back as Shikamaru could think he had never known of anything like this, and to think there had been many more all around his home was something that had never been in his mind.
Had they been here all this time? Or had his father ordered these exits built with the growing hostilities in case something like this had happened? What was probably a more important question was why all of this was happening, all he really knew was that there had been disagreements between the council and his clan, with the Hokage caught in the middle, he never actually knew what the source of the disagreements had been. So many unknowns were in his head and he had no answer other than to survive and ask when this was over.
With questions running through his head he barely noticed that as they got closer their entire group had lost half of its members, he could only hope that they had separated or been forced into a melee rather than have been killed. Ever since the news of the gate falling everything was becoming even more of a blur.
Once they reached the entrance of the tunnel he realized that the inside was dimly lit by torches laid haphazardly, which in his opinion made the place look even more frightening as the torches flickered on the walls.
Soon his mother began speaking with those ninja who were stationed at the entrance.
"I want someone sent to our research facility in the forest if one hasn't been sent yet... Shikaku ordered that outpost to be reinforced every week in case this happened, their research and medicinal secrets cannot fall into the hands of our enemies. They should have been able to hold out against the forces sent against them, tell them to go to river country, there isn't a force powerful and interested enough to bother us there."
There was no hesitation and soon his mother's order was being carried out, he supposed being the wife of the clan head meant that everyone was used to also following her orders when the situation demanded it.
"I've sent multiple messengers with your orders. Getting past will be...difficult but they are good men, and they will do their duty or die trying. The deer seem to still be able to help our messengers and have managed to escape through the forest and avoid the Uchiha, it seems that council forces have largely left them untouched." With that the man gave a short bow and left.
"Whatever is to be done now, it must be done quickly Shikamaru. They are coming." His mother looked at the entrance to the tunnel, and Shikamaru realized that the fight was still going on with a desperate sound, he had just been tuning it out.
He could only look at his mother in confusion, what did she mean, the only thing they could do is escape, unless...she wanted to...
Shikamaru's mind was reeling. Here they were with their lives in danger and his mother wanted to stay?
Yoshino's eyes looked into his own and soon her face was sporting a small smile, "You always were too smart for your own good Shikamaru, I suppose that's my fault for marrying your father."
This was crazy.
"There's only one thing the council wants right now Shikamaru, and that is to eliminate the clan, they'll soon be screaming with rage once they find out the huge failure this massacre ultimately was, and to fix our survival they'll send their forces to eliminate all those who survived, but if they believe you to be dead... they may decided us so weak as to no longer be a threat, as long as the clan seems a broken and leaderless thing, they'll see no reason to waste their time with us, and you can have a chance at living."
Shikamaru's breath hitched, "But I'm just a kid, I can't lead our clan, even if you tell me to!"
Yoshino's face held a trace of sympathy, "Your father has prepared those with influence in our clan, those who survived will teach you what we could not, and the rest you'll have to find out on your own. I'm sorry, but your duties takes precedence over age."
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. I am not a Clan Head yet, you still have to live. His mother's voice brought him back to the present, no doubt reading his face and his thoughts as she always did. She grasped his arm giving it an affectionate tug, "The council thinks they'll use the chaos to advance themselves. Make them wrong, Shikamaru. See that justice is done. Our family..." she smiled a sad, loving and desperate smile at him, "...Our family always does our duty first. They must be defeated. Remember that. For your own sake, and for those you'll be leading."
He swallowed around the lump in his throat. He felt as though a giant hand was squeezing his heart to a pulsing bruise, "I will, Mother. For you."
He put his arms around his mother, hugging her with all his might. He never wanted to let go, he didn't think he could, "My fierce boy." The smile she gave him shattered his heart.
Trying to hold back from crying, he tried one last time to convince her. "You can't be serious, how will I survive if I lose both of you!" Shikamaru felt the tears falling, from fear, sadness and anger.
"With the two of us gone they won't even bother going after you, that's even if they think your still alive with both of us out of the picture." His mother grasped his face with her hands and hugged him again.
"If my death helps you to live, I'll gladly welcome it." She smiled at Shikamaru.
"This is crazy! I'll be left alone in this world, what am I going to do without a father and mother!"
"You are going to live, live for the both of us who love you very much."
"I love you both...! I..." Shikamaru choked, nothing would come out. He could only look from one to the other.
"Then live and become a good man and do what's right." Yoshino reached out a hand to her son grasping his hand so that they were together, hand to hand, child to parent.
He had only a moment to wonder how life would have been if this had never happened before his mother's voice drew his attention, "Your father and I had a better life than most, if this is our end we cannot complain. It's your tun to live now Shikamaru."
There was a heavy crashing sound mixed with explosions and the voices of many men shouting all at once. The sound caused the leader of the group of Nara his mother had ordered to follow them, whose name if he remembered correctly had been stated as Ensui, to come running, having seemingly been waiting close by and he grasped his shoulder like a vice.
"We must go now! They're coming!" Shikamaru could hear the shouting getting louder. Ensui's hand tightened even more on his shoulder heaving him to his feet and practically dragging him with him. Daen and Koin were right behind them.
He started to yank his shoulder from his grasp and but stooped when he heard his mother. "Go, Shikamaru, live and do what we could not, and most of all, know that we love you." His mother gave him a smile.
Ensui's strong hand grabbed him by the upper arm this time, his long fingers wrapping themselves completely around. "Now, Shikamaru! We must go!" He yanked Shikamaru backwards once more to the depths of the tunnel.
The last thing he remembered before exhaustion took over and darkness overcame him was the sight of his mother ordering the last of the Nara who would stand and fight with her until the end, a sad smile on her face.
A/N
This all happens when the Uchiha massacre was supposed to happen in case anyone is wondering, so no Uchiha massacre in this storyline, naturally there might also be more AU stuff in terms of lessening the focus on Naruto.
Also in this world I'm envisioning ninja to be as a whole less powered, especially concerning the powerful ninja in canon, basically rewriting the rules so that one ninja or a small group cannot destroy an army or mountain by themselves, hopefully letting stuff such as strategy and planning to have more of an effect.
Ill try to keep the OC's to a minimum but there aren't a lot of noticeable Naras, even the few named canon Naras that aren't Shikamaru's immediate family don't have much character to them.
This is my first story so I don't have much experience, therefore any suggestions or criticisms are welcome. All questions will be answered in author notes or in private messages if you prefer to send me one.
Edit: The story is being rewritten, mostly to fix mistakes and try to have the story more focused. I've replaced some OC Naras with canon ones, although since in canon they aren't given much character its in reality nothing more than a name change.