A/N: Sorry for no updating, major chool crap ad writer' block. I WILL make up for my lateness! BELIEVE IT!!! ...I did NOT just say that.

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Shikamaru had gone back to find Deidara and Kisame reeking of alcohol and hiding from Itachi. "What'd you do now?"

"They left me a list. A very long list," Itachi answered. His blood-colored eyes narrowed as he tossed the bill at Shikamaru.

"Look at all those zeroes," Kagami commented. "How'd you pay?"

"I sold Deidara's favorite 'art project'."

"Nooooooooooooooo! Not ShinShin!" Deidara wailed. "He didn't even blow up yet!" Shikamaru rolled his eyes, stepping over the half-conscious, drooling Kisame.

"We're going out," he muttered to Itachi, leaving the two half-wits to their fates.

"Poor guys," Kagami smirked.

They deserve it, Shikamaru thought with a slight, twisted grin on his face. I wonder what they'll look like when Itachi's through with them? He continued walking, Kagami slipping around his neck for warmth. The sun was starting to rise, a golden orb in a mass of blood and clouds.

"Someone's coming," Kagami warned. Shikamaru quickly performed a genjutsu, blending into the trees. A lone figure came their way, not bothering to mask their presence. Shikamaru's eyes widened as he recognized her.

Her blond hair was tied into four ponytails and a fan was strapped to her back. The sharp eyes darted around once in a while, her black dress even darker as her body was covered in shadows. Shikamaru swallowed.

"Temari."

Temari turned, sure she had heard something. She could see something was different and shot out a shuriken. Shikamaru dodged, his illusion dispelling. Temari reached for her fan, narrowing her eyes. "Who are you?" she growled.

Still troublesome, Shikamaru thought. Kagami held in his laughter.

"No one," Shikamaru replied quietly, fading into the cool morning air, leaving the confused Sand Nin to herself.

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"Temari!" Ino waved half-heartedly. The older girl frowned at the sad, desperate look on the other's face.

"What's wrong?"

"He came back." Temari's heart stopped. "Shikamaru came back." Her heart came back, pounding painfully fast against her chest. Back. He's back. "And he's an Akatsuki."

"What?" Temari snapped. "No, that's impossible!"

"It's not," Chouji said quietly. Temari was silent.

"When."

"Yesterday." Temari's head shot up. Yesterday?

"Wait." That guy… "Akatsuki have black cloaks with red clouds, right?"

"Yeah."

"Did he have something silver?"

"Silver…?"

"Like a lizard."

"Yes!" Ino shrieked, leaping up. "Did you meet him?"

"Just for a few minutes," Temari said, a little scared at the younger girl's wild expression. "I didn't know it was him."

"Oh my gosh, we have to tell Hokage-sama!" Ino yelled and promptly dragged poor Temari towards Hokage Tower. Chouji sighed and looked up at the pale sky, which was littered with Shikamaru's favorite clouds. Why Shikamaru? Why couldn't it be Sasuke again, or someone else? Speak of the devil… Sasuke was angrily storming towards Hokage Tower, Sakura following with worried eyes.

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Tsunade raised an eyebrow as Sasuke slammed his hands down onto her desk.

"I want permission to go after Uchiha Itachi," he growled.

"No."

"I HAVE to!" Sasuke screamed, completely forgetting whom he was talking to. "If Nara Shikamaru is here, Itachi is too!"

"Yeah, Itachi's here." The Leaf shinobi turned to see the calm figure sitting on the windowsill, lazily looking out at the sky. "Why, you want to leave him a message or something?"

"Shikamaru!" Sakura cried. The teen shook his head.

"Nara Shikamaru is dead, Sakura. He died two years ago when a certain Hokage abandoned him to fate." Tsunade's eyes held a pang of regret as she took in the cold words. "All that's left is Kagemaru of the Akatsuki."

"Well then, Kagemaru, why are you here?"

"Well, Uchiha, I met a certain troublesome woman on her way to Konoha and I thought I'd kill her." He smiled faintly as the door opened, Temari and Ino coming in with Hinata and Kiba. Four mouths dropped open in shock.

"Sh-Shikamaru!" Temari gasped. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"What, no 'pineapple-head'? Troublesome woman…"

"I thought you said we were here to kill, boy." Kagami prodded at Shikamaru's face with his tail. "Unless you've changed your mind."

"I don't feel like going back yet," Shikamaru agreed. He raised a small capsule and smiled. "Say cheese."

Light. Brilliant, blinding light, spreading like wildfire. Ino opened her eyes to realize Temari was no longer beside her.

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Temari yelped as Shikamaru roughly dropped her onto the hard forest floor. She looked up at the younger boy, their eyes meeting. She looks like she wants to fight, Shikamaru thought. She always did.

Sad. His eyes are so sad. And hateful. They were like Gaara's eyes, before he'd met the Uzumaki runt. Somehow, it hurt Temari that Shikamaru was like this.

"What do you want?" she hissed, taking her fan out. Shikamaru smiled, raising the hand with Kagami on it.

"Isn't it obvious?" he whispered. "I want you to die." Kagami's mouth opened and black electricity shot out at the kunoichi. Temari dodged gracefully, opening her fan and shouting, "Kamaitachi!" Wind tore out of the paper and headed for Shikamaru, who easily moved out of the way.

"You're slow, kunoichi."

"Shut up!" She swung at him violently, only to realize he was behind her. There was a sudden stab of pain and she fell clutching at her stomach. Shikamaru sighed as dark shadows clawed at the Sand girl, dargging her down.

"And here I thought I'd have some real fun. Ah well…" He waved his hand lazily, black electricity slowly forming a dagger in his hold. Temari immediately swung at him hard, watching painfully as he leapt into the air. She threw a single Kunai at him, pinning his hat to a tree. Her mouth dropped open as she saw his full face.

His face was the same as before, but harder and stiffer. It was like his muscles were frozen into place, a bitter frown replacing the lazy grin from years past. His hair hung loosely up to his elbows, no longer in the pineapple shape she remembered. A thin, barely noticeable scar lined along his throat. Oh, Kami…is this really Shikamaru?

"What did they do to you?" she cried, horrified at the dark aura he possessed. He only flicked his wrist so the shadows fully bound her to the ground, forcing a painful yelp out of the blonde.

"Troublesome as always," Shikamaru muttered darkly. "I guess I'll kill her now." Temari looked up in horror as he raised the black blade, swinging down with bloodlust.

"Don't!" Shikamaru blinked, looking back to see Hinata and Kiba. Hinata looked scared, Kiba looked pissed. "Let her go, Shikamaru-kun!" Shikamaru smirked at the soft tone the Hyuuga spoke with. In a flash he was behind her, his blade to her throat.

"You should stay out of this Hyuuga," he said coldly. "You'll never be a shinobi if you can't kill. That's what it's about. Temari," he added the name softly. "That's what everything's about."

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Damn it, I didn't expect a light grenade! Sasuke fumed as he shot through the forest, looking desperately for any signs of his brother. Sakura and Ino followed, both looking confused and scared.

"Will he kill her?" Ino worried.

"Shut up," Sakura said firmly. "He may be…confused, but he's still attached. I don't think he will." Sasuke avoided the conversation, knowing well his words would only cause pain. Damn you, Itachi.

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Hinata gasped painfully as she flopped the ground, blood pooling beneath. Kiba was screaming, Akamaru was too; so much pain…She closed her eyes and listened.

"Shikamaru, you bastard!" Kiba. "I'm going to kill you!"

"Oh really?" A cold voice. Hinata didn't recognize it, but it didn't sound cruel. Just bored. And maybe lonely? "How do you plan to do that, boy?"

"Don't bother, Kagami." Hinata shivered at the raw loathing in the voice. Why does he hate us? "He knows as well as we do; he can't kill us." Footsteps coming closer. Kiba swearing. Hinata shivered, limp against the wet grass. Is it over?

Warmth. Sweet, pleasant warmth, like holding your father's hand. The girl opened her pale eyes to see Shikamaru's dark ones. He looks sad…why? Did we make him this way? Kiba…shouting? 'What are you doing'…what's that supposed to mean? She blinked and realized that Shikamaru was quietly healing her.

"Shikamaru-kun?" The young man flinched at her gentle, confused tone.

"Don't call me that," he murmured. Hinata noticed the lizard's mouth opened, not Shikamaru's. "I'm…I'm dead."

"Dead?" Kiba whispered, watching quietly. "What do you mean by that?"

"It means I'm not the Shikamaru you remember," he replied bitterly. His dark eyes glanced over at Temari, who was still on the ground watching with pained eyes. "It'd be better if I were dead."

"How right you are, yeah!" a cheerful voice agreed. "But Itachi wouldn't be happy if his apprentice died, would he?" Shikamaru blanched, standing up to see Deidara. Kisame and Itachi were there too, Kisame's huge blade poised threateningly against Kiba.

"Itachi," the teen said coolly. He didn't bother acknowledging the other two. "I thought we agreed I could kill freely." Itachi's cold eyes were on the frightened Hyuuga heiress.

"I don't remember anything about healing, Kagemaru." Temari shuddered at the icy tone, wondering how Shikamaru had survived living with someone like him.

"I'll kill her when I feel like it," Shikamaru snapped. "Untl hn, say out of it!" There was cold silence, Kisame and Dedara watching the teen with amusement. "Itachi…" he added quietly, as if in thought. "I think I'm ready to die." Kiba's eyes widened and Temari gasped. WHAT?

"I see," Itachi said, stoic as ever. He glanced over at Kisame, who sighed and teleported away. Deidara followed with a cheerful wave, Itachi flashing the group one last look before leaving. Silence.

"The next time we meet…" The three looked at Shikamaru in surprise. He was speaking; his voice was shaky and dry. He coughed painfully but continued. "I won't be myself. You will all be dead to me. It's your duty to deal with what happens." He slowly walked away, clearly intent on teleporting to…wherever.

"Wait!" Kiba howled. "Why do you want us to…?"

"Kill me?" Shikamaru smiled faintly, something familiar flickering in his eyes. "It's ust too troublesome to do it myself. But I'll warn you now; you'll be dead to me. So you'll have to finish it whether you like it or not." He faded into the wind just as Sasuke and the girls arrived.

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"Are you sure you wish to do this?" Itachi's cold voice resonated across the room. Shikamaru nodded.

"It's troublesome, but I'll bear with it. They're too familiar to me, which is screwing with my 'kill them all' plan."

Are you sure it's not that you just don't want to kill them? Shikamaru ignored Kagami's voice crawling through his head. Or perhaps you wish you could return…?

Shut up.

Itachi grabbed a small knife, looking at Shikamaru expectantly. The latter held out his arm, wincing as the knife cut through tender flesh. He watched in morbid fascination as the crimson life circled around him, writing themselves into an unknown language as Itachi flashed his handseals. Kagami slithered off his master to leave the circle, unwilling to be affected. Shikamaru closed his eyes, ready to embrace pain.

Fire. Pain. Ice. Pain. Lightning. Pain. Wounds, blood, painpainpainpainpainpainpain. The teen screamed as the numerous seals crawled onto his skin, burning into his skin before fading. He slumped to the ground, groaning.

A blonde girl and a chubby boy. Both smiling.

Same ones, not smiling. Hiding in a bush.

Same boy, dying. Half dead. Tears? The girl. She's crying. Why?

Itachi watched as his apprentice screamed again, his memories being burned out by the second. The blood on the floor faded, and Itachi knew it was done. The boy sat on his knees limply, unreactive as Itachi lifted his chin. Brown eyes, dull form pain, met brilliant crimson ones. In that moment, Nara Shikamaru died. And someone else was born.

Preview of Next Chapter:

"Sorry, but I'm not this 'Shikamaru', whoever he is. The name's Kagemaru of the Akatsuki. Nice to meet you." In a flash, he was behind her, kunai stabbing into her stomach. "It's troublesome, but could you please die?"