A/N:

Hey everyone! Sorry about the long wait, I've been getting pretty busy lately. And plus, this chapter was a little slow and I didn't really enjoy writing it (so it might be a little sub par…for that I'm sorry!) But it's really important to the plot line of the story, so I had to do it.

Right now I'm debating about how I want to start the next chapter. A day later? A week later? A month later? Half a year later?

If you have any ideas or suggestions, PLEASE let me know!

By the way, thank you to JLynJoyce for reviewing! It means a lot C:

Enough of my blabbering, on to the story! xoxo Haiitachan


No, no, no, no, no! You began to panic. Never before had you had experience in healing other people's injuries. Most of the time that action was completely unnecessary (I mean, you didn't help the enemy right after you chopped them down, right?) or there was someone else to take on that task.

But there was no one here now.

Time, it was passing too quickly. Events, they all happened too fast. Life, it sped by too promptly.

You quickly ran through all the options in your head. There honestly were not that many choices: at most, ten. Half of them involved Naruto dying. The other half involved him dying, but not as quickly. Things were looking ridiculously dreary. Was this Kami's way of punishing you for your sins? By giving you someone to care about, and then instantly taking them away?

Come on, baka! There has to be another option out there!

Angrily, you clenched your fists and pummeled the ground. Why, why is it that you were always never strong enough? When it mattered most, there was always something that you couldn't do, where you felt useless, weak, and unworthy. You failed the academy exams-twice. You failed your parents. You failed Jinpachi. You failed yourself. You failed everyone.

Tears, a liquid that hadn't bothered you for quite a few years now, threatened to make an appearance. You hung your head low and stared at the ground in front of you, ashamed that you even had the gall to think about yourself right now, instead of Naruto. Another person I've failed…I am a f-cking worthless piece of f-cking shit.

Wait.

Wait a second.

That could work.

Yes, that's perfect!

Epiphanies sometimes strike at the most ideal moments. This indeed, was one of them. While staring down at the ground, you had noticed your hands. They were scrunched together in the mud, yes, but that inconsequential. What was important was that the previously snug bandages had become unraveled during your fight, and were hanging rather loosely around your fist- it was the same regarding the strips of cloth covering the rest of your body. It would be quick and easy to get them off.

Thus, you could use them to patch up Naruto. Use a few to make some crude tourniquets, and then the rest to staunch the bleeding. Yes, excellent. A pretty good plan considering the situation. Sure there were definitely defects in the plan, but what better option did you have? It's not like the wrappings were unsanitary either- you only used them to cover up your scars and sometimes wrap up sore joints. But that wasn't taking priority right now.

Working swiftly, you began to claw at the bandages, producing a small pile of strips and slivers of cloth. Although you were shivering from exposing your tender skin to the freezing rain, you persevered. Being careful not to disturb Naruto or increase his outward blood-flow, you slipped the longer sections of cloth above his upper arms and upper thighs, securing them tightly to stop further bleeding, but not tightly enough to amputate him. You tied the remaining pieces of bandages together and wrapped them around his wounds, being careful not to trap any dirt or debris.

Come on Naruto…stay with me.

Despite your own injuries and stiff muscles, you managed to pull Naruto onto your back let his arms hang down around your neck. He might as well have been a dead body- he was limp, he was cold, and he was stiff. The only thing distinguishing him otherwise was the faint thump of his heart against your sore back. Ugh, it felt like he was going through rigor mortis, his joints were so stiff. Which made it increasingly difficult to grasp him.

You slowly trudged through the mud, eventually leaving the woodsy training area and returning to the cobblestone roads of the village. Your legs and back were screaming with each step forward, sending you sharp pricks of pain telling you to stop. But you were trained as a ninja, and thus trained to ignore and hide pain. Perseverance and determination are key.

Naruto's arms swung loosely as you walked. The stone Hokages in the far mountain side seemed to loom over you, somehow directing their invisible pupils in your direction and shooting you scathing glares. It could be called a sign, or it could just be because you were exhausted and delirious. Either one would be believable enough.

Why did the hospital have to be so far away from the training grounds? Sure, if one was healthy and perfectly capable of running on his or her own two feet, it'd take about five minutes or so to get there. But like this…it'd take an eternity. Who the hell had been Konoha's city planner? Whoever he or she was, you'd sure love to yell a few choice words at the stupid idiot.

And then, just like that, you were falling. Things always happened so quickly. Lost in your own thoughts and focused still on the Hokage monuments, you had failed to noticed a rather large and kinky electrical cable looping out from under the ground. Your foot had caught on it, and the unexpected halt in your momentum sent you flying forward, destining you to a future with your face planted into the ground.

And cue the expected.

If it had just been you stumbling over the cable, you would have been able to catch yourself. Or at least avoid injury. But Naruto's weight bore down on you like an anvil, painfully sandwiching you between him and the ground. Oof. A couple light cracks and a wrenching pop came from your beat-up body. You gasped, breaking a very important shinobi rule- never show pain.

Haziness began to cloud your vision, and your eyes fluttered closed as darkness enveloped you. You were hastily falling victim to unconsciousness, but stayed awake long enough to feel a large weight being lifted off your shoulders (literally) and an arm loop around your own, pulling you up.

Snap, crackle, pop.

Ouch. Maybe your bones were a little weaker than you thought.


You couldn't believe your eyes. You called BS. No way in hell could this be true- it had to be a genjutsu or something like that, a dirty trick someone was playing on you. Naruto, only a day after almost bleeding to death, was already prancing about in front of your bed, waggling his rump and taunting you with every step he took. First he had chicken danced across your vision, then wormed his way back, and retraced his steps again doing the Macarena.

Really, that behind of his, mockingly waving to and fro in success, was really asking for a rude paddling.

You could only look on helplessly (and rather irritated) as he bragged about his fluid motions. "HAHAHA AYUMI-CHAN! I'M ALREADY OUT OF BED AND IT FEELS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD." He pulled his arms over his head and demonstrated a nice stretch to prove his point further. An angry vein threatened to pop out of your forehead.

"Naruto…how-that's impossible…you baka."

"EHH?"

You couldn't help but snap at the bouncing boy. It was great that you didn't have another death weighing down your conscience, really, it was a euphoric thought, but honestly, the way Naruto rubbed his recovery in your face played with death was not celebratory. How in the world did he heal so fast?

That's right. Your beat up training buddy, who had definitely been more worn out and cut up than you, was already perfectly fine- like he hadn't trained with you at all today. And you, you were confined to bed-rest with a fractured shin and three broken ribs. The joy. Not only did the incident have a negative effect on your body, but no doubt with the gossiping nurses running about, the news that you had suffered a severe lost to the blonde genin (he still hasn't passed the chuunin exam yet!) would circulate rapidly. You were a broken body, whilst he had not a scratch on him.

It was a dark hour.

"Naruto, how the hell did you recuperate so quickly?"

He smiled sheepishly. "I've always been a fast healer, Ayumi, because I can't afford to lounge around! I'm going to be Hokage!" He punched the air for emphasis.

You sighed. It was hopeless trying to get anything useful out of the boy.

He suddenly jerked his movements to a stop, and had that expression on his face when one remembers something they've forgotten. Then he smacked his forehead and began to hop around nervously. "Ohhhh man I FORGOT I HAD A MEETING WITH GRANNY TSUNADE! GAHH!"

The next second, the hyperactive boy jumped into a sprint and dashed out the room, yelling a fading

"I'LL SEE YOU LATER AYUMI!" as he went.

A small smile crept its way onto your face. Naruto was so childish at times, but in a good way. He was practically a big kid himself, but without the scarring judgmental side that most pre-adolescents had. It's really true, children can be the most cruel creatures of all. Example? Your own childhood. Other outcasts' childhoods.

Most everyone who was anyone these days used to be an outcast or still is an outcast, right? All those shrill, bullying, doll-like girls who would group together and pretend they ruled the place barely amounted to anything after graduation. Housewives, probably.

You snorted. So infinitesimal.

Out of the blue, there was a screeching sound and a light rumbling as someone pulled a small table over to the bed. You looked up, confused, believing that you had been left alone to ponder your thoughts. Did Naruto come back? Or was it possible that after Naruto left, someone else came in? But you weren't really expecting anyone, since you weren't very well acquainted with many people, and on top of that, you didn't notice the person's approach. That was a blow to your pride.

What you saw completely and utterly baffled you beyond belief. Wholly befuddled you.

Shikamaru was crouching on a stool on the other side of the side table, setting up a shogi board. His movements were slow and seemingly deliberate, as if to test your reaction. This board wasn't nearly as nice as the one you had glimpsed in his room the day you retrieved your katana, but it was well made all the same. The pieces were still intricately carved and obviously made by a skilled craftsman. Although perplexed by his actions and unsure of what to make of the awkward and quiet situation (since he had yet to say a word), you decided that it wouldn't hurt to humor him, so you proceeded to set up your side of the board as well. His eyes shifted momentarily to watch you move your pieces into their designated positions, but then returned their gaze to his own side of the board.

When the players were set up, he moved first, without saying a word. Then you moved. Then he moved.

It was like this for the next hour or so, both of you taking your time in calculating the best maneuver to claim the other's king. You had never played shogi against another person before, but had done a little reading about the strategy game. Granted, it wasn't enough for you to be exceptionally gifted at the sport, but you knew some useful tactics and scenarios to avoid. Shikamaru was one of those gifted people, apparently, since he knew exactly how to counter your every move. In the end, after an hour and forty five minutes of playing, you had been checkmated.

Shikamaru picked up your king in his hands, lightly tossing it up and down in his hand. He seemed to be thinking, but about what you had no clue.

"I cheated."

You blinked. He had finally opened his mouth to say something, and that's what he decided to say? I cheated? A "nice try" or "that was a good game" would have been nice/more appropriate. Or even "won" instead of "cheated." How was it possible to cheat in shogi?

Well, I mean, he's a shinobi, so he probably has a plethora of sneaky jutsus to use, but if he really cheated like he said, then he would have had to somehow get into your mind to see your thoughts…which is something you probably would have noticed.

Shikamaru frowned at your lack of response, a little put off that you didn't seem to care about how he had won the game. You were, in fact, thinking quite deeply upon those two words he had just uttered, and how that would be possible, but of course, he didn't know that. So he went on to explain himself.

"You touched my shogi board last week. When you got your katana."

"Hmm?"

Did you? Last week…katana…oh yes. Yes, that's right, you had forgotten about that. The lure of his beautiful board was just too much to rebel against, and so you had amusedly played around with his pieces. It was a quick interaction, but satisfying nevertheless.

Shikamaru shook his head in disdain. "You shouldn't divulge your battle tactics so easily, you know. A good strategist never lets the enemy know his or her thoughts."

A good strategist? The enemy, eh? You tilted your head in contemplation. "Are you my enemy then?"

There, you said it. Now all the pent up feelings of tension and aggression between the two of you could be either solved or worsened-it was all susceptible to interpretation. Though, either way, at least it would lead to a clear distinction in the momentarily muddled emotions you were feeling towards the boy. It was a rather loaded question, considering all the events that had happened on the mission to Kirigakure; its underlying meaning was what the hell do you want with me. Did he really see you as a menace? As someone who he would slash open from head to toe the moment he had the chance? Shikamaru didn't reply immediately, instead choosing to look at you through slanted eyes. You could tell that the gears in that head of his were turning profusely, weighing all the pros and cons of antagonistic relations with you before coming to a decision.

At last, he closed his eyes and slouched in his chair, bringing up a hand to rub his head. He wore a rather pained expression as he voiced his conclusions. "Only if you give me direct reason to…which, so far, you haven't. If Tsunade-sama trusts you…then I suppose I have to too. Troublesome…"

A very political answer. Well, maybe not entirely, but it was close enough.

You nodded your head in appreciative thanks. "Arigato, Shikamaru-san. I hope we can become comrades." An empty statement- you didn't want much to do with the lazy teenager. He seemed to see right through your façade, but didn't call you out on it. Instead, he chose to change the topic, gripping the king piece tightly in his right hand and staring into your eyes. The close scrutiny made you feel rather uncomfortable. "Ayumi, who do you think the king is?"

It was the first time he had used your name.

The king…now why would he ask something like that? Well, the king had to be the person of highest rank residing in a country, right? Because that's what all the pawns and knights and bishops were protecting. They were out on the field, fighting for the king who was essential in his own way to the direction of the game.

"Here…it would be the Hokage. Because she's the mastermind of the village"

A corner of Shikamaru's tugged into a small smirk; something about your straightforward answer clearly amused him to some degree. You didn't understand why- it was a completely logical and simple answer. Was there something in particular he was looking for?

"I used to think so too…but then someone showed me the right answer."

Huh? How does that make any sense? You could sense a small back story behind Shikamaru's words as he cast his eyes blankly towards the floor, again lapsing into his awkward silence. You didn't press the issue though, his somber expression hinting that it was something he didn't want to talk about. You could sense his feelings of loss as clear as if they were your own. It was tangible, permeating the air around you and nearly suffocating you.

Or was it just because you forgot to breath?

The sun had shone through the window that moment, and its warm rays fell on Shikamaru's crouched figure. The two arms snaking out from the puffy vest were sinewy, the muscles brought into clear view by the high contrast the sun created. His eyes were deep set and symmetrical, the light gleaming off of his dark lashes. His lips were parted and you swore you could see the breaths slowly entering and leaving his immaculate mouth.

He was beautiful.

"Excuse me. I hope I'm not bothering you, but visiting hours are over."

A petite, slender nurse had knocked on the doorframe, breaking both of you out of your trances. You immediately turned your head to the left, all at once harboring shame and irritation at your actions. It was embarrassing- you couldn't believe you had just enthusiastically ogled the person who could very easily ruin your life. It was unprofessional, not to mention completely unacceptable. You did not come back to Konoha just to fall head-over-heels from the semi-attractive first person you saw.

…attractive…

Was he?

A light rustling sound had you glancing back over to where Shikamaru sat. He had packed up the shogi board and was now standing, slouching with his hands in his pockets. He turned and walked towards the door, giving you a small wave of the hand as he left.

You were alone again. You mind took the opportunity and began to wander over the events of the past two days, and then an idea came across your mind. How did you get to the hospital, if you passed out on the streets of Konoha?


Who was their savior? How is Shikamaru going to treat Ayumi from now on? Are things still going to be tense? What comes after this?