( Yes, I know. Crazy idea, pairing, and might have never been done before. Well, that's how I like to write…so please support the official release of this chapter and tell your friends! Story idea created by me, characters are not my, expect for the OC. Final words, be intrigued xD )

Chapter 1- The beginning of one's changed future

Traveling on missions is such a bore, all we do is walk along the road, jump from tree branch to tree branch. Finally stopping at one of those blasted tea shops to rest up and get some food. I rather not but the others always liked to come to these things. Asuma liked to sit on a bench and smoke, while he waited for us. Ino liked to try the tea but then gets side tracked with talking to random travelers about herself. Choji ate everything at the shop, from meats to cakes that go down with the tea. What am I doing at this moment?

I am lying down on a bench away from the others and staring up into the clouds. The beautiful view of the clear blue skies, etched with the grey clouds that have endless shapes and sizes always put a smile to my face. They were never alike to me for some reason, I suppose by preference. How I had developed a habit to stare into the sky all day was beyond me, but it was one of my joys in life.

" Shikamaru! Come on! or do you want us to leave you behind me " Ino had yelled at me from the road.

It's seems that they were ready, and I had wanted to take a nap….how troublesome. I got up slowly before making my long trip over to my squad. Ino was pulling Choji towards the front of the road, they were going out it seems. It wasn't much for me, I was glad that Choji was happy to be with her and she was like the annoying sister I never wanted. So all was good, Asuma had fallen behind and was walking along side me.

I didn't pay much mind to him, because I had bigger plans in mind. The mission was the important part of my job, since Asuma had left me in charge of the squad. Trying to make me take responsibility for once, he believes that I have the potential to become more then a chunin. Our mission involved a caravan shipment towards the leaf that has been hit many times, leading to a shortage of supplies within the village. It couldn't be ninja from our village, so it must be from around the other villages…possibly Rock or even Grass ninja.

I was using info from what was told on the assignment; it was a strong group of ninja's that had taken out the caravan. They were coordinated, held info on the shipments and attack at night fall to cover their tracks. So it would be safe to assume that would be the next attack, using a fake caravan group to be a decoy for us to come in to take them down. I knew that there should be no problems with the plan, I had to make sure that it was perfect and never let my team down.

The memories of my fail attempt to save Sasuke still pasted through my mind, from time to time. I had almost killed my entire team because we were outmatched and my plan didn't work at all. If we didn't get any support, we might have all died that day but we survived. It made me take my rank more seriously and I promised that from there on. I would be at my top peak, when it came down to missions…so far it had been about a year after Naruto had left the village. One day, I would show him how much I have trained for the village, not only him, but everyone.

" Shikamaru, are you alright? " Asuma had asked concerned for his student.

I simply turned to him with a blank expression on my face.

" It's nothing important, I was just simply running the info through my mind. Along with scoping out the area for possible ambushes and who could be disrupting the trade route "

" Shikamaru, you know that you shouldn't overthink things. It isn't good for your health and you have to discuss it to us as a team "

" Yeah, Sensei " I muttered softly

" Come on, don't act so gloomy. Were almost to the rendezvous "

I only sighed at his comment and looked around the area for any sort of trap. It was a dense patch of grass in the forest, where we would drive the caravan down the trade route and hope that the ninja's would attack. The cargo within the wagon was soldier pills and special materials for crafting weapons that needed to reach the leaf. So it would be a critical event for nothing to go wrong with the mission, which we would all need to ensure doesn't go wrong.

When we arrived at the spot, the wagon was there with the guard in sight. They spotted us and started to do some hand signs, while Azuma had signed back. Both of them nodding to each other, before they had lowered there guards. Asuma approached the leader and started to speak of the how this was going down. Leaving me, Ino, and Choji to speak freely to each other.

" Man, I can't wait to work this row of being the scared wagon driver " Ino had spoken cheerfully

" Don't get ahead of yourself, this isn't a time to play around " I said bluntly

" Come on, we shouldn't fight each other about something stupid as this? " Choji said trying to be mediator, but staying quiet at their expressions.

" You two are no fun at all! "

" Because this isn't a time to be fun. So if you want to be play around, then go somewhere else "

" Yeah! "

" Yeah "

" Choji, tell him to stop trying to mess with me! "

" Bringing him into this, really smart. Just leave him be already "

Choji had slowly started to back away from us, leaving the two of us staring at him. One filled with anger and the other was my bored expression that wanted this to end. Ino had left my side, saying that she was going to have a talk with Choji. Leaving me to my own thoughts for a change, it would be best that I should be the driver of the wagon. I was good under pressure and can get the full tactical advantage of the field.

So it would be me, putting myself in danger for the team. Plus, I don't need to walk anymore from within the wagon. So this was a win-win type of issue that needed to be resolve, more likely was planning out how this could go. Maybe more than two hundred steps in the future and it was getting rather complex to think of every possible outcome. Asuma and the others had finally gave the green light and started on the journey down the path.

The quiet surroundings of the forest could be heard all around, the crickets chirping, the owls howling in the night in search of their prey and calm gentle breeze of wind. It was all soothing to the ear, that I had started to catch myself falling asleep. If only I could but it would lead to bigger problems, along with it being a clear night to watch the clouds…this rather sucked to be on a mission at this moment.

I listened in closely to the forest, when the odd sound of grass moving was heard closely to our right flank. Then to our left, and that was when my mind snapped into place.

" Right, and left flank! "

That was when the sound of fireballs being fired from both sides of the caravan was heard. The swirling ball of death was hurled to make sure that the wagon didn't make it, but in the nick of time. Asuma had used his charka blade to disrupt the right one, and Choji had smacked the left one with his giant hand. It was only a matter of time, before ninja from the grass had started to assault by force. Our group of ten was being attacked by seven ninjas. It was only a matter of time before a few of our guards were cut down, and we had returned the favor.

When the battle was tipped in our favor, the enemy had started to flee away from the scene. I was about to peruse them, when Asuma had pulled my shoulder back.

" Shikamaru, let us handle the run-away ninja's. You need to cover the wagon and the wounded guards "

I nodded to Azuma and quickly dashed back to the wagon, pulling two guards into the wagon that were injured. The other three were dead and the leader was already inside waiting on me.

" What happened to the rest of your squad? "

" They went to catch others before they get away "

" I see. Good for them, but it would only be a waste of time "

" Wh…."

Before I could utter my sentence, the ground under the wagon had started to erupt and shake like a wave of water. Earth Walls had formed around us, and wagon before it started to sink down. I was alarmed at this outcome and tried to sign for a justu. When a chop to the side of my neck had paralyzed my nerves and caused me to fall limp on the ground like a ragdoll. I looked at the leader of the guards as he smiled evilly to me. It was the last thing I saw before I had faded out.

My mind was pitch black for a while, but every so often a new image had popped into my head. I knew it wasn't real but a dream that I was thinking of. They were mostly me, helping people and doing something for a change. It really wasn't my strong suit at all, but when I was dreaming anything was possible now. Yet, why was I dreaming…..trying to wake up was going to be a bore. Slowly my eyes started to open up, only to be greeted with more darkness instead of light. Where the hell was I?

I tried to remember, but when my memory was coming back. I noticed that my hands were bound together and the ground was rather rocky. Pulling against the ground with my legs, I knew that it was a cave and that I was stuck in a cage. We were double crossed by the guard leader and I was brought to their hideout it seems. It was a wonder, why no one had found them sooner if they could hide within a cave like this. Then leave to launch out an attack on the nearby caravan, before coming back here to lay low.

Trying to think of a way out of here was my best bet. It needed to be done before they decided to kill me, but I hoped that my team would find me soon. The sound of walking could be heard approaching the cage and the light from a torch was the only visible light source at this moment. It highlighted my thoughts as right, it was a cage and we were in a cave. They only looked at me with an evil smirk before they had decided to toss me a piece of bread.

" There you go leaf Ninja, a nice cool meal "

" Why did you take me? "

" Oh, someone is rather aggressive today. Kid, it wasn't that you were important but rather a fun toy to break "

" If you think that you are going to get anything out of me, you might as well kill me "

" Even better, someone with a strong will. I hear it all the time, but by the fourth or fiveth day. They talk, they always talk "

" Go to hell! "

" I'ii gladly do it, when my time comes "

I shut up at that comment, they weren't the average group of bandits.

" Good, nice and quiet. Now don't worry, it won't be long before your sent out of here "

I still didn't reply to him.

" Well time for me to check on the spoils of your cargo, I'ii just leave this torch for you on this wall. So you don't get scared, when we start having our little chat later on "

It was with those last words, he had left me in this cage with only a piece of bread on the floor. Now with the torch giving off some light, I had looked around the cave area that they had placed me in. It was a small room with only one exit, and must be sound proof as well. So basically there holding cell for prisoners. I had to plan an exit strategy as quickly as I could make one, but I would need to know more about the layout of this whole cave. My mind had drifted off, but something else had gotten my attention. On the other side of my cage, there was another one that was constructed just like my but stronger materials was put into it.

When I tried to stare over that side, all I could see was a female figure but she was facing away from me. All I could tell from her was that she had darker skin then me, and green hair. She must be a prisoner as well, that was all I was thinking at this moment. When it came down to it, we were both in the same problem but I didn't dare say anything. Hopefully she would say the first word, how troublesome.

( PS- If you spot any first person to third person sigh, during mid-sentence. Can you please report it with a review? It would be really helpful! Thank you in advance )