Hola! I deliver to you all Chapter 3 with a side of fries and a milkshake! Enjoy

(and so it begins…again)

Shikamaru walked through his house sipping on a cup of hot coffee while stepping over piles of papers that had collected throughout the week. Normally the detective wasn't the messy type but ever since the new "job" assignment his house had been filled to the brim with clutter.

The man sat at his table hidden behind stacks of reports coming from a myriad of sources but discerning just what this job entailed could not be held within the content of books but rather the experience of what would come if Shikamaru accepted the offer from the Uchiha and Hyuga.

(two weeks ago)

Shikamaru pulled his jacket over his body trying to warm himself up. The night was cold and this specific part of town wasn't a safe place, well no part of this town was ever safe.

Shikamaru glanced around the desolate street; trash littered the ground and scraps of miscellaneous items fluttered in the cold breeze that swept over the inner city. Shikamaru sighed and watched his breath float throughout the air.

"I hate the cold." Shikamaru glanced over to his left from where the voice originated from. The man in the trench coat next to Shikamaru cowered lower behind his large collar.

Shikamaru sighed and shook his head. "Why is that Shino?"

"It's bad for the bugs."

"Of course." Shikamaru glanced around the alleyway overturned trash cans decorated the sides of the brick wall while tin cans clinked along the uneven road as they rolled down the street in a makeshift parade. Bits of broken glass twinkled in the low lights of the antique gas lamps that flickered in the constant breeze.

Shikamaru followed the man but glanced back towards the top of a far away building narrowing his eyes would seem too conspicuous so Shikamaru yawned hoping that his instincts were correct.

"Shino was there…"

"Yes."

Both men looked towards one another but Shino was first to break the stare, glancing downward at Shikamaru's shoe he nodded towards the undone laces. Shikamaru stared at the problem and leaned down to tie his shoe. Shino glanced around the alleyway and placed his hands in his coats pockets nodding once Shikamaru stood up the two men walked towards the warehouse's door. Shino turned the handle and walked inside as the pair entered Shino turned on the lights while Shikamaru went to the desk chair and sat down.

"How long?"

"Not long, He is very far gone."

Shikamaru nodded and walked toward the window sighing he ran his hand through his hair and glanced outside. He pulled the blinds until a CLICK resonated throughout the warehouse and looked over to the desk where Shino was creating a web between his fingers using a special thread the bug enthusiast had probably designed himself.

"This is troublesome."

(still two weeks ago)

Kyubi growled as he nodded to Akamaru the men were very impatient, to say the least.

"No please don't, I'll do anything! Anything!"

"Funny I believe that's what got you in trouble in the first place." The man's cries were silenced as a knife was run along his exposed neck.

Blood trickled down the man's limp body and onto the floor which was laced with a special fiber that absorbed the liquid, solid as concrete yet acts like a sponge it was a common favorite for murders and mercenaries, every true professional knows the trick is not in the committing the crime but cleaning up afterwards.

Let's go, now.

Wait.

For what an invitation?

We don't know everything.

I know enough.

You don't know anything.

Kyubi locked eyes with Akamaru who was shaking with anger he knew Kyubi was right and if they were to get the men responsible and make them pay killing minor henchmen would only complicate things.

The two slinked out the rafters they were lying on top of, though the building was ancient the architects had rigged it with enough pressure sensors to detect a fly but the henchmen obviously knew what they were doing because they bypassed all safeties and alarms; the job becomes easier when the building isn't the one to inform the authorities.

As the two made it to the top of the roof Akamaru started to bleed, Kyubi couldn't see the liquid but he could smell it.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Idiot I can smell your blood, what's wrong?"

Akamaru turned towards Kyubi and opened his fist, the man had dung his claws into his own flesh in an attempt to curb his anger. Kyubi shook his head and sighed.

"Clear it up, we can't have the building absorbing your blood."

Akamaru nodded and grabbed and small pebble from his suit placing it on the palm of his hand he stared at the object till the blood pooled around the base activating the device, wires jutted out from the sides and wrapped themselves around his hand coating it in a vast web like glove while a powerful liquid cleaned the cut and halted bleeding. Once Akamaru's entire hand had been covered he walked toward the edge of the roof with Kyubi.

Kyubi looked down at the side of the building and glanced toward Akamaru the wind ruffled his red hair as both men looked at the handful of scrap metal jutting out the ground. Back when all of the warehouses were built it was common for them to be built with insane amounts of metal but the past architects didn't think of how the warehouses would end up when not in use, due to the prolonged exposure to the elements the myriad of warehouses now resembled a twisted version of a child's jungle gym. The warehouse itself was secluded from society but the maze of metal surrounding it made it near impossible to enter without having major difficulties.

Akamaru glanced towards the night sky and looked at the black abyss above him when he was younger he had heard stories of glowing lights called stars that dotted the sky like diamonds sewn into velvet but when Akamaru looked upwards he felt no joy or peace in fact Akamaru was amazed whenever he felt anything at all but those few moments when he did experience emotion he would glance towards Kyubi and wonder if the man was better at concealing his feelings or if the scientists had truly succeeded in eradicating them. Kyubi looked at Akamaru and grinned like a Cheshire cat, his smile was the brightest the light the night sky had seen in many years, Kyubi crouched downward tensing his muscles like an animal ready to pounce. The smallest twitch from Kyubi and he was soaring down the side of the building Akamaru rolled his eyes and glanced over the edge of the warehouse. Kyubi was effortlessly flying through the darkness grabbing hold onto slight grips that jutted out from the metal pieces and using the minimal ledges and cracks as a way to silently move his body throughout the tangle of metal.

Akamaru sighed and looked back from where Kyubi and himself exited the warehouse willing away any rash decisions to go after the men who were silently disposing of the decomposing body. He glanced down to his gloved hand and balled it into a fist.

"I guess the rumors were true."

Akamaru jumped over the side of the building silently following after his friend.

(Back to Shino and Shikamaru)

"How long do we wait?" Shikamaru was not an inpatient man but the prospects of the new job had been setting him on edge.

"Who said anything about waiting?" Shino replied.

After Shino's lips closed the door splintered and flew off of its hinges slamming against the opposite wall with a bang and screeching as it descended down to the floor. Shikamaru's eyes widened and looked at the boy who was panting in the door way.

His eyes we bulging put of their sockets as he glanced around the room slowly making his way onto all fours, the boy bared his teeth while emitting a harsh growl from his throat threatening the two men. Shikamaru focused on the boys not so pearly whites; they were sharpened to dangerous points that cut the boys bottom lip and lined his lips with a thin layer of blood.

"Is that?"

"Yes"

Shikamaru grabbed his hair and looked at the spectacle in front of him the boy's spiky black hair bobbed up and down as his chest expanded and contracted a fair amount. The boy was stoic judging Shino and Shikamaru maybe analyzing them? Shikamaru highly doubted that, the boy seemed too agitated to be a strategic fighter but there was something wrong with the boy his eyes, they were pitch black as if the boy had no thoughts other the idea of attacking Shikamaru and Shino.

The boy jumped towards Shino as he released a fierce growl while twisting his body in the air. Shino didn't flinch until the boy was inches from clawing out his throat then he stepped to the side and grabbed the back of the boy's shirt quickly jerking his boy towards the opposite wall. The boy screamed as he clawed at the air try to find purchase on something. Shino threw three senbon at the boy but he quickly dodged them.

Clever enough to react to direct attacks but cannot see surprises. It's like he's acting on pure instinct.

Shikamaru watched the two fight until Shino decided that the boy was too troublesome to continue fighting with. The boy was beaten beyond belief but he still rose out of the scrap pile Shino had in the room, grabbing a large pipe he screamed in rage and ran towards the man. Shino stood completely still watching the boy run towards him as if there wasn't a lust for death in his eyes.

Shikamaru gasped and took a step forward when the boy wound up to hit Shino but before the final blow was dealt the pipe fell from the boy's hands and clattered to the ground. His body was rigid and stuck in the previous twisted position resembling a Twizzler. The boy gasped as his breathing accelerated, Shino walked up towards the boy and held his hand towards his neck. A small black bug climbed out of the boy's skin and walked onto Shino's outstretched hand. Closing his hand gently Shino walked back towards the door and flipped a switch.

The building shook fiercely and began to descend Shikamaru looked in awe as the four walls surrounding him fell outward showing the now visible lab, an underground network of experiments and test tubes all waiting for Shino. The idea of concealing labs was not unheard of but to hide something of this magnitude was no easy task, Shikamaru had no doubts that he came to the right man.

(it's 3:07 am at least when I'm writing this)

Naruto screamed as he clung onto Kiba and entered the house chuckling even louder when the door closed.

"Naruto quite laughing you're supposed to be drunk not scared."

"Does it matter?"

"To my ear drums yes."

Kiba sighed as he walked over to the sink he slowly pulled off the glove on his hand and examined the cut from earlier or the area where the cut should be.

"I'll never get over this."

"What, The cut? Kiba your hand will heal perfectly you'll see." Naruto walked past the brunet towards the makeshift fridge hoping to find something digestible in the house.

"No it's fine."

"You remember what they told us at the orphanage?" Naruto put down the assortment of food his hands and gripped the counter.

"Yeah" The blonde shuddered as flashes of pristine white walls, cold metal tables and screams of pain filled his ears.

"Whatever happens in that body stays in that body." Kiba slowly nodded.

"So will the cut be there next time we go out?"

"Whenever I get injured I'm always fine by the time I change but come on Kiba you're laced with whatever those crack pot scientists could come up with though if it helps we do have some meds in the back room." Naruto pointed to the back of their house mentally trying to look for a med that would help Kiba.

"No I'm fine I just never thought."

"Never thought that we'd make it?" Naruto grinned towards Kiba.

"I never thought that I'd be the same."

"We're not Kiba but it's up to us to make sure the world doesn't stay the same otherwise it will happen again. History has a way of repeating itself." Naruto looked up at the brunet.

"Ain't that a bitch." Naruto smirked at his friend's remark but he couldn't help but grip the edge of the counter top till his knuckles turned white.

Those bastards have everything in the world and how do they get it? By hiring some low thugs to do their dirty work for them god they piss me off. Torturing some poor man just for some twisted reason do they not already have enough? Why do more damage the senseis at the orphanage were right these people need to be stopped. Sasuke Uchiha and Neji Hyuga I will find you both and I will kill you.

(ever get that feeling that you just can't stop writing, welcome to my world, but since I rule this world let's head back to present day Shikamaru)

Shikamaru glanced at the silver case in the middle of his table the mounds of papers and documents created a fortress around the small container while giving it an invisible spotlight effect.

Shikamaru picked up the container and ran his hand over the cold metal before opening the case the syringe remained untouched as did the liquid but Shikamaru was still skeptical of the liquid.

(short flashback)

"It's a poison." Shino handed the container back to Shikamaru without even opening it.

WHAT!

" How can you tell you did no tests?"

"I don't need to I've seen it before and I see what it does to people."

"And what exactly does it do Shino?" Shikamaru leaned over the table raising his eyebrow. Normally the brunet didn't make a big deal out of any circumstance but being told that he was given poison on a silver platter worried him a tad.

Shino pointed to the paralyzed boy strapped to a metal examination table located in the other room. Once the bug paralyzing toxin had fully kicked in Shino transferred the boy for cautionary reasons.

"What?" Shikamaru started to shake.

"That is what it does; it makes you into something animalistic. I've seen these mixtures before because they are rather popular nowadays. They used to be strictly underground but now commoners are getting their hands on the mixtures and injecting themselves without a second thought."

"But why? If that is the result who would want to be that?"

"That" Shino pointed to the boy. "Is the result of what happens when you receive an impure injection the people that take dispense and take the drug have no prior knowledge of the mixture only what they hear on the street, what you see is the result of carelessness."

"So what would happen if he received a good mixture?"

"If the mixture is good and complete you receive power, the extents are unknown for the mixture reacts to everyone's body differently but the outcome is supposedly the same. Ultimate warriors, with a simple injection one can go from a worthless piece of scum to a killing machine, like those ancient ads that promised weight loss only these drugs have larger consequences than gaining a few pounds."

"I'll say."

"They destroy the users mind, the liquid" Shino held up Shikamaru's vile. "Is a mixture of animal DNA and growth hormones sounds barbaric but it was actually brilliant. At the end of the old world people realized that the weapons they valued so highly could turned on them easily, groups of scientists realized that using technology to add onto humans was not the answer rather than modify the outside world they decided to modify the human themselves. Using basic animal DNA these scientists discovered that a human body can morph for short periods of time magnifying the senses and increasing the overall physical ability of the body it becomes faster, leaner and stronger but the unexpected twist was the modifications to the user's brain. As the tests continued the scientists realized that the subjects were unstable due to the excessive stress that the drug places on the body it takes over any rational thought slowly killing any ties to the human world the subjects may have contained."

"So this boy was a subject."

"No they true drug worked very slowly in fact by the time the scientists had realized its true effects the drug had already been employed and an entire program had been centered around it. The idea to transform orphanages into human factories of these killing machines had already started, by taking children who no one cared for and training them to become soldiers and mercenaries along with the enhanced assistance of the drug people could achieve the perfect weapon. The children that went through the orphanages were mentally and physically altered to ensure their obedience and by giving the drug in increments the children's bodies began to crave the substance. The ultimate goal was to find a child whose body would self produce the drug organically."

"So they were trying to create another type of human?"

"In a way yes but as the warriors became more unstable owners began to see the need to exterminate them."

"Unstable?"

"They lacked the capacity of free will and choice acting purely on instinct one owner even claimed that the child had resorted to hunting for his food after finding the boy growling over the carcass of a dead deer but the death of 65% of the owners was the final straw. Afterwards the program was shut down and the children slaughtered but rumors had already spread and so had the secrets. Soon the drug was being distributed globally being deemed as an ultimate defense and appealing to most members of society but the drug these people are injecting is wrong the balance is off and for the faulty chemistry the injectors pay. Their minds reduce to mush within a matter of hours and they kill whatever is in their path. Though someone found a way to make this negative a positive, an underground sport has arisen out of the dark depths going by the name of "Death Duels". The idea is to take young men usually anywhere from 17-23 and inject the drug into their bodies moments before they enter the ring the crowd watches as the transformation takes place and then a one round match proceeds in the traditional gladiator fashion."

"My guess is that this boy was one of the few to ever escape the ring."

"What happens to the boys after they win?"

"Shikamaru no boy ever wins; due to the power of the drug the victim is dead within a matter of hours regardless of who wins the match both boys still loose."

"Hm"

"So why would I be given this liquid then? I don't think Sasuke or Neji have any intention of poisoning me."

"Because yours is a placebo." Shikamaru quixotically at Shino while attempting to digest everything that was given to him all at once. Basically there was a drug that mutated people turning them into perfect warriors but the program was scrapped because no one would pay for their own hit-man thus the factories ended but the drug prevailed now seen as a panea to the standard problems of today's society and as usual there is some form of fighting involved but why would Sasuke and Neji care about this?

"Your vile will change your appearance and your mind but only slightly. You will be more aggressive and may have a craving for blood, it's hard to tell but Uchiha handed you plastic surgery in a bottle. I don't believe he wants you to fight but I guess that he wants you to find someone who does."

"No Sasuke and Neji wouldn't want some punk kid who throws sloppy punches it doesn't fit their M.O. if anything he would hire one of the original test subjects the kind that were bred and nurtured to become the true perfect warrior but you said that they were all disposed of." Shikamaru turned to Shino whose faced had not changed the entire conversation.

"I did say that but I also said that these children were trained to exist under any condition and defeat any obstacle in their path. The idea that some of the smarter children escaped and remain anonymous is very probable." Shikamaru almost slapped himself. And I'm supposed to be the genius…

"But that would mean that they kill, you said they lust for blood but could training teach them how to curb their hunger? If so true that means there is at least one warrior lurking around the city killing off whoever he chooses due to an appetite he can only mildly tame. That would mean that Hyuga and Uchiha are looking for a hit-man but not just any hit-man they desire one with a 100% success rate."

Shino nodded and examined a different vile. Shikamaru understood that the man had no further information for him and gathered the container and the case carefully hiding the items under his jacket.

"The liquid." Shikamaru looked back at Shino. "The liquid must be clear when you use it, if there is even a hint of color it means that my deduction is wrong and that it isn't a placebo. The discoloration means that the substance is contaminated and if you use it you will end up in a ring fighting for your life because it is the only thing you'll know how to do."

Shikamaru hesitated to open the door but promptly left the building after the troubling news. Once outside he sighed as the sun began to rise over the horizon, trudging home Shikamaru looked towards the sky hoping to see some hint of clouds.

(flashback done…phew)

The two men stepped into the large penthouse suite without a second glance at the doorman. Both dismissed the servants scampering around and decided to do some light reading before turning in for the night.

"Do you think he's capable of finding out what we gave him?" Neji asked Sasuke who sat on the couch directly opposite of him.

"Yes but whether or not he chooses to use the liquid doesn't matter the fact that he has taken this long to mull over our offer means that he has found out more information that he would have liked and it's taking him longer than usual to run all the different scenarios in his head." Sasuke turned the page slowly glancing up toward his friend.

"Hm I would imagine Shikamaru being the type to enjoy a good mystery after all he always is so quiet analyzing every move anyone makes and creating the perfect strategy to counter any move."

"We're not the most talkative people in the world ourselves."

"True, but we don't need to analyze anyone because we already know what move they are going to make. It's their destiny."

"And what does destiny have in store for us my friend?" Sasuke arched his eyebrow at the brunet.

"To find the sole survivors of Konoha"

"And after that?"

"To gain our ultimate goal but Sasuke it troubles me that you are so far behind when our plan is coming along so nicely."

"No worries Neji just humoring your outlook on life, destiny is something I have never really looked into."

"You don't need to look into something that will eventually happen that is the beauty of it."

"I see no beauty in losing control."

(It's 5:31 a.m. I must love you guys)

First off if you didn't get it Akamaru isn't Kiba's dog in this story, secondly I'm so freaking tired right now but I've been wanting to upload this chapter for a couple of days so I decided to do it, thirdly I believe I deserve a round of applause for writing the longest chapter ever!

Sorry there isn't a lot of action but I basically set this killer foundation so now the real fun starts and sorry about my absence I haven't been feeling very creative for a long time writer's block or laziness I'll let you decide which. Comment I want to hear feedback it brings warmth to my soul and my toes. Laters