Author's Note: Ok I know it's been forever and I am very very sorry! Life can just be too much at times. Anyway I'm back and I'll hopefully be updating much more frequently now. If you liked this chapter and have enjoyed this story so far please be sure to leave a review! They are highly appreciated! I always like hearing back from my readers so please let me know what you think. Till next time.

-Gongsun Du


A small candle burned in a large dark room, casting just enough light to reveal the outlines of two men.

"Is it time?" One of them asked.

"Patience." The other replied, "He has only just arrived in Suna, after all."

"But the longer we wait the greater the chance he may discover the truth."

"Doubtful." The other said, turning his head slightly so the light from the candle flickered in his eyes.

"As you say." The man muttered anxiously.

"Don't worry," The other said soothingly, "The more he tries to discover the truth the closer the plan comes to fruition. It won't be long now."


Shikamaru awoke in a cold sweat. The sun was still hidden beyond the horizon and the nightmares that plagued him every night since his banishment tore once more at his conscience. Unlike the other dreams, last night's weren't vivid. They were plagued with phantasmal forms and disembodied voices, hands grasping out from the darkness and pools of blood congealing beneath his very feet. What did it mean?

Shikamaru exhaled with a shudder, if it meant anything at all, he thought wearily. These nightmares only seemed to exist to torture him further.

Stirring gently on the other side of the bed was Temari. Her face was tranquil and a soft smile played at the corners of her lips. It was infectious and Shikamaru felt himself smiling back. He wondered what she was dreaming about. Of the past, perhaps? Happier times when life for them was so simple and so perfect.

Getting up out of bed, Shikamaru was careful not to wake her. He wanted nothing more than to stay there curled up beside her, but there were things he had to do. Questions that needed answering. And he wouldn't find them lazing about.

As he walked the empty halls of the Kazekage's palace, the words of the cloaked man rang in Shikamaru's ears. Gaara and Tsunade.

Ever since his ordeal began, Shikamaru knew his predicament was more than it appeared to be. To set him would have taken a great degree of skill, far beyond that of an ordinary citizen or average quality ninja. But skill aside, there also had to be a motive. If Gaara and Tsunade truly were involved, then what was their reason for doing it?

With Gaara, Shikamaru could already guess. He had coveted Shikamaru's skills since he and Temari had first started dating. But to do this? Gaara was ruthless and manipulative, that was a given, but this simply was not his style. And much as Shikamaru disdained Gaara's actions to date, he couldn't see him going this far. But then again, Shikamaru had been wrong in the past and it was still too early to absolve anyone.

And what of Tsunade? That question was even more puzzling. Her actions at his trial had saved his life, but in a way they had also confirmed his guilt and sealed his fate. The thread that connected her and Gaara might be spider-thin, but it was still there and Shikamaru could not ignore it either.

Then there was Kakashi, Shikamaru felt himself scowling. His nightmare had made him wary towards the copy-nin, but Kakashi's message from Ibiki was another crucial piece in the puzzle. If Shikamaru had indeed been gone for three days after his apprehension by the Anbu, what had happened during that gap in time?

Shikamaru sighed, every answer he got only seemed to lead to further questions. He had to get out of the web, even if only for a moment. He had to see the bigger picture. But to do that, he would need to go straight to the top and that meant one man.


The doors to the Kazekage's office were guarded by several elite Suna jonin. Even before Shikamaru reached the top of the stairs, they were already on alert.

"Can I help you, Shikamaru?" The apparent leader of the guards asked.

"I'd like to speak to the Kazekage." He replied.

"I'm sorry, but the Kazekage is in a very important meeting. Perhaps you could come back later?"

"I can wait." Shikamaru said calmly, walking towards one of several couches outside.

"It might be a while." The guard said with a slight grimace.

"That's fine." Shikamaru said as he sat down. "I've got nothing but time."

"Still in there, huh?" Kankuro's voice came up the stairs as the puppet-master walked slowly into the reception hall.

"I'm afraid so, sir." The leader of the guards replied.

"Shikamaru?" Kanakuro's eyes looked at him quizzically, "What are you doing up so early?"

"Just hoping to get a word with your brother."

Kankuro scoffed, "Good luck. There's been an emergency on the border. Gaara's been in there since 3."

"Emergency?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah." Kankuro replied, his blank expression offering little. "What did you want to see him about?"

"Just some things." Shikamaru's expression offered even less.

"I see." Kankuro smirked. "Well there's no point waiting around here. Why don't we do something useful with our time?"

"What do you suggest?"

Kankuro smiled, "A little sparring ought to make the time fly by."


Shikamaru hit the floor of the sparring gym hard. Wincing, he slowly got back up.

"Hehe," Kankuro grinned, slowly retracting his outstretched fist, his face glowing with victory. "Don't tell me you're done already."

"Not quite." Shikamaru dashed forward suddenly and before Kankuro had time to react he landed a solid kick to his torso. The puppet-master slammed to the floor even harder.

"Ugh." Kankuro groaned as he clutched at his chest.

"I'm sorry." Shikamaru said, without feeling. "We can take a break if you want."

"Like hell!" Kankuro leapt to his feet and assumed a fighting stance.

The two men circled the gym slowly. Each waiting for an opening in the other's defenses. Patient to the extreme.

Shikamaru saw his chance and aimed a low kick at Kankuro's leading leg. But the other man saw it coming and quickly moved out of the way. Shikamaru changed his position to follow up, but at that moment a searing bolt of pain shot through his head, temporarily blinding him. When his vision cleared he saw the incoming fist too late.

The punch landed squarely on his jaw and sent Shikamaru sprawling as the older nin smiled with satisfaction.

"Maybe we should take a break." Kankuro taunted as Shikamaru weakly gathered himself up.

"Not yet." He replied tersely, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

"Oh, you still want more?" Kankuro resumed his fighting stance.

Once more Shikamaru aimed for his leading leg, but Kankuro countered with his knee and followed up quickly with a punch. Shikamaru only barely managed to block it, before Kankuro grabbed his other arm and with a quick motion threw him to the floor. From there the puppet-master moved quickly to pin his arm with his legs before moving to lock it. Shikamaru tried desperately to hold on.

"You know, you really fucked up my sister's life." Kankuro seethed as he tried to pull Shikamaru's arm back into an arm bar.

"You can thank Gaara for that." Shikamaru cried, desperately trying to link his hands together.

"It took her a long time to get over you. To get her life back to normal." Kankuro pulled harder on his arm, "And now you come here and fuck it up again. Why won't you just leave her alone?"

Shikamaru felt his hands being pried apart and he tried to shift his weight downward to relieve the pressure.

Kankuro grimaced as he pulled even harder, "You done yet?"

Shikamaru gritted his teeth, "Not…a…chance."

As Kankuro tried to pull his arm once again, Shikamaru let go suddenly and his fist slammed into Kankuro's chest. Stunning him temporarily, Shikamaru wrested his arm free and slipping around the guard, he pinned the puppet-master's legs to his chest and then to the ground before driving a left hook squarely into his face. He followed it up with a right and then another left and then another right and then…

"That's enough!" Kakashi shouted as he and Baki rushed over to break up the fight.

"You okay, Kankuro?" Baki helped the battered ninja up.

"What were you doing, Shikamaru?" Kakashi asked sternly.

"Sparring." Shikamaru said weakly, the pain in his head flaring up, causing him to grit his teeth.

"In your condition?" Kakashi looked at him furiously, "What were you thinking?"

"And you." Baki looked at Kankuro strangely, "Just what were you trying to prove?"

Kankuro pulled away angrily. "Nothing at all, Baki-sensei. Nothing at all."

As the two of them walked away, Kakashi turned to Shikamaru.

"Fighting with Kankuro is only going to set you back you know." He said, handing him a towel for the cut on his lip. "You injured his pride and that makes him much less likely to help you."

"I don't need help." Shikamaru said firmly, waving away the towel. "His or yours. Just because you bring me some information doesn't mean you get my trust."

"I see." Kakashi's eye was blank, but Shikamaru sensed the disapproval in his voice. He and Kakashi had fought side by side many times and before he was banished he would have trusted the copy-nin with his life. But now…now he trusted no one.

"Shikamaru." One of the guards from Gaara's office stood at the doorway. "The Kazekage will you see you now."

"Excuse me, Kakashi-sensei."

As he followed the guard down the empty corridor Shikamaru's mind drifted back to his dream. The ghoulish apparitions floated before him once more, surrounding him, hands reaching out from the darkness. Then suddenly, one of them emerged from the shadows and he glimpsed a human face. But before he could recognize it it vanished once more into the depths of his mind, leaving him trapped in the web once more.