Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Naruto or Naruto Shippuden or the song "Dolly Grey"
6 AM in Konoha
Shikamaru had been summoned to meet Kakashi early that morning. He eagerly sat in the waiting room tapping his thumbs, avoiding awkward stares from Shizune about where he had gone and what not. A ruffled sound came from the door as Kakashi had entered the room.
"Shikamaru, I'm glad to have you back. Let's step inside my office shall we?" He motioned to Shizune to not schedule any appointments this morning.
"Please take a seat."
Shikamaru had sat down and began to familiarize himself with the room. It did not change much from when he last recalled except maybe for a new plant on the desk.
"You look good in that uniform. You should be proud." The Hokage said, while indirectly telling him to sit down.
"Do you know the purpose of your mission?"
"I am sir."
"Glad to hear. No need to waste time getting you up to speed in that case."
"Sir,.." He injected very politely and continued. "I have been gone for months now and all of a sudden I get selected for service along with a promotion? Forgive me sir, but it just doesn't add up in my mind."
Taking a hard look at the newly named Lieutenant, he sighed and poured himself some tea.
"Shikamaru watching you and the group grow up has been the greatest privilege in my life. I love you, you realize that, right?"
"Yes sir-"
"Let's cut the horse shit of calling me sir. C'mon you've known me long enough now."
He nodded and let him continue
"Do you realize the position I was put in? We had Naruto, Choji, and Sauske risk being captured by going to retrieve you? Look.." He paused trying to decide on what to say. "We're glad you're back and ready to serve, but you know what you did wasn't right or even legal."
He lowered his head in shame.
"I know. I'm sorry."
"I know you are, but embarking on this journey may warrant forgiveness from the village."
"I only wish to serve the Leaf and her people."
Shikamaru thought he heard his voice crack but ignored it.
"Anyways your convoy is set two depart in two hours headed for the border The Land of Iron shares with Waterfall. You will be debriefed on the objectives of your mission once you arrive. As always may your will burn on and come back soon." Kakashi said while rising from his chair and heading towards the door, pausing for a second before leaving. "She'll be fine" he said before leaving the room.
He sat there in silence as the room became empty. Looking at the palms of his hands, noticing the actions of himself, he replied sheepishly alone "I know she will." Taking a deep breath, he left and made his way down to the flower shop.
Yamanaka Flowers brought warmth to Shikamaru as he saw it from a distance. It was drastically different however; they had a whole new color scheme and now expanded their candy selection to the outside of the store.
"You aren't worried about the neighborhood kids stealing the candy you and your mom bought?" He pronounced, entering through the door and meeting Ino's eyes.
"Usually they don't. Sure they take a couple but it's only a few." She replied while running up to peck him on the lip. "I'm surprised you're here this early."
"Same here, it's way too early." He joked. With his back turned to the cashier's desk he fumbled around the store smelling flowers and helping himself to a piece of chocolate. "Ino?"
"Yeah?"
"Why do you sound so far away?" He turned around.
"That's because I'm in the back changing. I have a shift today at the hospital."
"Oh. That's interesting. How is Sakura doing by the way?"
"She's fine."
"That's good."
Ino came back and went behind the cashier to do some restocking in some medical. She noticed Shikamaru was staring at her. "Can I help you? Earth to Shika?"
He hadn't realized the daze he was in and quickly snapped out of it. "Sorry, I just never had the urge to play "doctor", but I do now." He said while admiring her simple beauty that even showed in something as conservative as scrubs.
"Really is that so?" She said seductively before sitting on his lap and grabbing the t.v remote, turning it on to see today's forecast.
"And a recent development has occurred in the Badia rebellion. The Badia have stated that they want nothing but a peaceful demonstration in the capital but say they cannot due to the government treating them as "Rebels" and "insurgents".
Shikamaru gulped when he heard that. "This can't be good." He thought to himself.
"Always something depressing going on in the world." Said the blonde as she flipped through the channel s.
Shikamaru reached around and wrapped his arms around hers, "Ino, I need to tell you something. Something I should have told you last night."
Within a second she had turned around to see the Nara. She had a look of curiosity.
He looked into her eyes. "I'm going to be deployed in about an hour." He grimaced while speaking. "Let me start over. I have been chosen to help oversee and if necessary, possibly quell, whatever is going on there. I should have told you this before. I should have told you this. All I have done is just bring you pain. I'm sorry. I must get going." Once he finished he sprang up and began to walk away only to be pulled back by Ino.
"Shika…, I knew that already. Kakashi told yesterday. You don't need to worry. I slept with you last night knowing you were going to leave in the morning, and because I missed you and will continue to. I know that you didn't come back on your own like you wanted, but I'm glad you came back, even if it was for only a night. Shikamaru, I lo-"
"Please do not finish that sentence." He said while taking his hands away from her muted mouth. "I don't deserve your love. I deserted Konoha and more importantly, I deserted you. There's nothing I can do to fix my mistakes, but if there is one thing you should know, it's that I love you and always have, Ino Yamanaka." They met for a passionate kiss that almost seemed to quench the longing they had for each other.
"I'll go with you to the deployment center."
"I'd rather you not. Your shift will begin soon and I want you to be on time."
She gave a sad nod but understood. The kunoichi leaned in and gave him a goodbye kiss and proceeded to walk towards the hospital.
He realized something and sprinted out to meet her, which didn't take too long.
"Ino-" He said while collecting his breath from running after her. "I need to know why you didn't inform me that you knew about my departure."
She looked down at her feet and looked at him. "Because this time… I wanted to know if you were going to say goodbye." Tears had begun to form on her eyelids.
Shikamaru pulled her in and embraced her. Tucking her head onto his neck, she cried. He pushed away her bang and held her. "I promise it will never happen again. You hear me? I promise it to you. I will do good and make you proud. I love you, my flower girl."
"I lov-"
"Don't say it. I must get going. You will always be with me no matter where I go, that's the beauty of it all." He said while his voice trailed as he ran off.
Ino was left there alone, again in tears. But this time it was much different. Wiping away her tears and watching the newly promoted lieutenant run off into the busy streets, she smiled. "I love you, Shikamaru Nara. There, he can't stop me now." She said to herself, with a grin and a slight laugh, and soon proceeded to walk towards the hospital.
Making his way towards the city walls, he saw what appeared to be the deployment convoy, and from the likes of he had just made it before row call.
The list went on and on as shinobi after another stood up, got their information, and walked outside the walls. Silently cursing how long the process took, he made a calculation in his head and came up with the amount of time he can doze off before they call him. Resting his eyes for thirteen minutes, he was awakened a minute early by some nervous recruit who had accidently bumped the back of his head. Rubbing his head he silently cursed out the recruit for costing him a precious (In Shikamaru's eyes) minute of sleep.
"Naga?"
"Present."
"Nagato?"
"Present."
"Nara?"
"Present."
Looking and merely following the soldiers in front of him, he made his way to a table.
"Nara, Shikamaru?" asked a clean shaven man, who had a serious demeanor.
"Yes sir."
"You are appointed to convoy A27, which is right over there, do you see it?" He said while lifting out of his chair, pointing at a tent that had men in uniforms buzzing in and out.
Slowly making his way over to the tent, he let his mind wander off. Images of the cold, frozen, border region dotted with mountain peaks controlled his mind. Although he was trained to fight and strategize in every possible environment he wasn't particularly fond of harsh, ice brittled conditions. Opening the tent he was met with a silence that took over the room. All the other men looked at him. At first Shikamaru did not realize what was taking place, he scanned al their uniforms and saw that he was the highest ranked member out of all of them.
"Attention." All the man lined up.
Shikamaru stood in front of the line waiting to see who had entered. It was the same man from the table before. He had a prematurely aged face from the sun, and salt and pepper hair. He swept in with his serious ways, staring at each and every one of them, until he cracked a smile and laughed.
"All right now that I have properly seen you all, my name is Colonel Hakomo, and I just would like to say it is truly an honor to have you all serving under my wing, and I look forward to leading. Since this is a United Shinobi Alliance division, all of you are from different nations and villages, meaning I don't know you and you don't know me. Laughter broke out amongst the soldiers who loosened up from their previous position. "But it means we should treat our fellow comrade in arms with respect. Understood?" All the soldiers agreed. "Now since that is taken care of. I am going to ask Nara, Shikamaru to please identify himself to me.
Shikamaru turned around and looked at him.
"All right. This here is Lieutenant Nara. He is a revered shinobi from the Village Hidden in The Leaves. He is my main tactician and will also serve as second in command. Would you like to say a few words?"
He swallowed and began "Like the colonel, I look very forward to working and assisting you all. May this mission be blessed with good fortune and safe travels."
"Thank you for the words Lieutenant. Now we are scheduled to be deployed within the next thirty minutes. Please finish your socializing and enter the vehicle you are assigned to."
Shikamaru looked around in bewilderment and wondered where he had been assigned to.
"Come S-Shika-maru, is it? You're riding in the private quarters with me." Hakomo said while patting him on the back.
Once inside the quarters and all the men had entered their assigned vehicles, the convoy began to churn slowly.
"Well this is the beginning of our journey. Do you drink tea Lieutenant?"
"Uhh no, unfortunately." Said Shikamaru.
"That's a shame. Do you know any war songs?"
"Again no."
"It's fine. Looks like I'll have to sing it myself and you'll have to get up to speed with it."
"I have come to say goodbye, Dolly Gray
It's no use to ask me why, Dolly Gray
There's a murmur in the air, you can hear it everywhere
It is the time to do and dare, Dolly Gray
Don't you hear the tramp of feet, Dolly Gray
Sounding through the village street, Dolly Gray
'Tis the tramp of soldiers' true in their uniforms so blue
I must say goodbye to you, Dolly Gray
Goodbye Dolly I must leave you, though it breaks my heart to go
Something tells me I am needed at the front to fight the foe
See, the boys in blue are marching and I can no longer stay
Hark, I hear the bugle calling, Goodbye Dolly Gray
Hear the rolling of the drums, Dolly Gray
Back from war the regiment comes, Dolly Gray
On your lovely face so fair, I can see a look of fear
For your soldier boy's not there, Dolly Gray
For the one you love so well, Dolly Gray
In the midst of battle fell, Dolly Gray
With his face toward the foe, as he died he murmured low
"I must say goodbye and go, Dolly Gray"
"Of course it would be a song about a woman." He thought to himself. It's funny though, he couldn't stop smiling about that woman.
A/N: And welcome to the second book, story, volume, etc.. of my original story! I'm grateful to have all you wonderful readers and supporters. Again, feel free to message me if you have any suggestions or if just to chat. Thank you so much, and a big shout-out to sumtyms, maxridelover, and kibainuzukalover145. Oh! And I forgot to mention, I know that I tailed off with the NaruHina and Sausaku stuff, but I'll pick up on their relationships very soon.
