Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Waiting on Betrayal

A once sacred place, disgraced. It hadn't changed any, the grass still there, growing as it always did, the clouds still floated above it as they will forever. The only thing that had changed were the thoughts it invoked from two shinobi. One's face reddened with shame as he passed, the other shivered in fear.

- - - -

"I'm fine," Shikamaru said while he was shutting the door. He leaned against it and listened for the sounds of receding footsteps. Instead he heard a grumble and the person on the other side sit against the door as he was. He closed his eyes, keeping back the flood of emotions that tried to burst his heart. In the end he fell asleep, his head falling to his chest.

When he woke up there were urgent knocks at his door. He got to his knees and opened the door. He got a perfect view up Ino's skirt that any guy would have loved. He looked up further to see Ino, not glaring at him as he would have expected, but actually having a kind expression almost to the point of pity on her face. He frowned slightly at the look.

"Shika, we have decided. You are going to live at Chouji's." She grabbed him and pulled him to his feet. Shikamaru smiled. For once Ino's bossy nature didn't bother him, in fact he was thankful for it.

Ino took the long way to Chouji's, and she looked all around them. He knew why. She was on a mission: Get him to Chouji's while keeping him safe. She was avoiding two unsafe places, and keeping a look out for an unsafe person. Shikamaru studied the back of Ino's shoes when he realized that, he should have told her that he had been by earlier, but it would just worry her and even as troublesome as she could be, he didn't want to worry his friends. He didn't like the way they looked at him.

The buildings they walked by began to look familiar and he knew they were almost to Chouji's. The sight of Chouji stuffing chips into his mouth brought a smile to his face. He rushed to Chouji and buried his face in the larger boy's chest. He let the warmth from Chouji's arms as they enveloped him fill him with a sense of normalcy he was missing. The team went up to Chouji's room and talked about all that was happening. A question hung in the air unasked. The conversation died down and even the chatterbox Ino could not continue on. They let it die and just sat together enjoying the simple fact that they were together, something that had not happened for nearly a month.

It been that long since Shikamaru had barricaded himself in his room refusing entrance to anyone. At least until one day when he had let Ino in and from that day on she had visited him, bringing him food and just talked to him while she nosed around his apartment, half cleaning and half trying to keep busy. Chouji had only come by once. He had a sour look on his face the entire time, and finally left seeming quite angry. Shikamaru didn't hold anything against him, he knew that he was pathetic. He had stayed at the window staring at the trees, but not the clouds, they didn't comfort him anymore. If he wasn't at the window then he was sitting in front of the Shogi board. Every few seconds he would pick up a piece as if to move it, but never did. He always thought better of it and put the piece back in its place.

Ino spoke, he voice was soft, barely audible to the distracted Shikamaru. He probably would not have heard her is she had not said his name.

'Shikamaru, we should at least tell Sensei.'

"No," he said calmly.

"Why not?" Chouji asked. Shikamaru looked at him in disbelief.

"I don't want to be a bother."

He knew what would happen. Everything would be brought out in the open and so much trouble would come from it. He wouldn't have ever told Chouji or Ino, but they had found him.

Ino left he knew she wouldn't tell anybody, it was the promise both of them had made him. Chouji followed Ino out. Shikamaru climbed out the window onto the roof with his eyes closed. He cracked his eyes open when he heard voices. He looked down at the corner of the roof to where the voices were coming from.

"Chouji, I can't keep this secret any longer."

"We promised."

"We didn't know how bad things would get when we did that!"

"Give him time," Chouji's voice was quiet. Shikamaru heard Ino's departure. Chouji re-entered the house and went up to his room. He didn't panic when he didn't see Shikamaru he just sat on his bed and went back to eating.

Shikamaru silently thanked him for the peace. He looked up at the clouds above him and shut his eyes quickly. Flashes of black hair and pain ran through him. He pushed it back, he didn't want to remember because he couldn't accept it. He was slowly growing frustrated with his own fear, own cowardice. He should look up at the clouds, that he had thought of as friends, that didn't help him or bring him comfort when he needed it the most, and let the memory take over, maybe then he could deal with it, and learn how to return to his normal way of life, and not worry his friends. Hesitantly Shikamaru opened his eyes. He looked up at the clouds and remembered everything.

The clouds that had floated high above him and his favorite place that day were numerous. They had filled the whole sky with there brilliance. He had been in a daze for a while when he heard a noise. His eyes had flicked over to the spot, but nothing was there. Then a heavy weight landed on him and his neck was dug into roughly, wet bites. At first he thought he was being attacked by a dog and pushed back when a pair of hands landed on his hips, which made him even more alarmed. He moved frantically, trying to get out from under the person. A piercing pain ran up his arm again and again until he couldn't move his arm at all, the same pain attacked his other arm. The pain moved all over until he was completely immobile. His heart beat faster pumping fear along with blood. He didn't know what was happening. His shirt was ripped off and his fishnet pulled off. As it slipped over his head he caught a glimpse of his attacker. His eyes widened in shock. His pants were pulled off and he was completely vulnerable.

The once soft grass now scratched at his bare skin. He stared up at the clouds as he was violated, all control gone from him. He cried, tears ran down his face leaving streaks of dirt. He didn't make a noise at all for fear that a single finger to the throat would silence him forever.

He was alone, left out in the open sprawled out on the grass. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't move to cover himself up. When the sounds of footsteps filled his ears he whimpered. Immediately he thought of all possible people it could be and all the possible outcomes, it was torture. He didn't want to think.

"Shikamaru!" Ino had gasped. She rushed over to him and pulled him into her lap. Chouji covered him with his jacket, both stared at the red dots covering his body. They knew who had done this.

"Promise me you won't tell any one," Shikamaru whispered. Ino and Chouji both nodded, wanting nothing more than to ease their teammates worrying along with his suffering. Chouji carried Shikamaru back to his home, the only place he would let them take him.

Shikamaru closed his eyes as he wiped a line of tears from his face. He took once last look at the clouds and climbed off the roof. He swung down into the room and stood before Chouji, who paused in his consumption of his favorite chips. The look on Shikamaru's face was one of pure joy. The tears running down his face seemed out of place with the happiness in his eyes and the smile on his face.

"I'm going to be ok now," Shikamaru said. He knew he would. He faced his pain head on, and could put it behind him. Although he knew it would take time, he could do it.

- - - - -

The prickle of grass that he had once enjoyed now irritated him and the clouds no longer held his fancy. He could look at them though without any tug from his mind. He no longer played Shogi, for he couldn't move any of the pieces where they would be vulnerable to attack.

But his team was closer and new things interested him that had once bored him. And he could walk down the street without worry. Even when he passed by his betrayer, he paid the cautious Hyuga no never mind. The only thing that nagged him was why he had done it, but he could save that question for later. Once Neji stopped crying his apologies at his door everyday and could look him in the eye without faltering.

He could wait.

A/N: Um... Review and tell me what you think. Please?