A Shadow's Touch

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D/C: I own nothing.

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"… You mean to tell us…that we are EARLY!"

Rang throughout the entire village of Suna, to top it off, in the middle of the night and the locals seemed to be used to the scream. They didn't bother to turn their heads to see what was going on as they feared it could possibly lead to their death.

"I told you guys that this my first time taking in a team." Raido defended himself once again as he stood in the corner cowering away from his genin team. "And a Tokubetsu Jonin to boot, I shouldn't even be dealing with this until I am a full-fledged Jonin. The other teams from our village should be arriving in a week for the Chunin Exams. "

"I vote that he has to sleep on the floor with no blanket." Shikamaru grumbled with clear sleep deprivation on his face.

"Or a futon." Itachi added in, his face also had clear signs of sleep deprivation.

"And a pillow." Kabuto said taking Raido pillow and throwing it outside the window of the hotel room they were currently staying at, "If you play nice you can get the couch."

Raido looked over the boys to see a couch that looked like it is made of stone. He mentally sweat dropped. 'That would be far worse…'

-.-

"We still have a week until the others arrive and half a week after that until the Chunin Exams start." Kabuto stated to his teammates as they walked around Suna. The locals were wary of them seeing as they are foreigners, some gave them glares while other gave them looks of worry. The latter left them unsettled, just a tiny bit. "What now?"

"It's hot…" Shikamaru complained, he had taken off his jacket and tied it around his waist, now showing that he has on a mesh shirt with teal lining. "There's no grass, no clouds, no shade, no trees. Only sun, sand, and torture."

"Why don't we get something to eat, its past noon." Itachi said, he pointed at a small restaurant just a good way in front of them. "We hadn't eaten anything since last night."

"That would be a good idea." Kabuto nodded, as he headed towards the restaurant. The other two followed promptly.

As they headed towards their destination, a flash of red caught Shikamaru attention. "I'm going to call for a weather check, see you guys at the hotel later."

With that, Shikamaru wondered off in a seemingly random direction.

"There he goes again..." Kabuto said, wiping away a fake tear. "Off to help another lost soul."

Itachi ignored Kabuto and began to walk faster to get away from the silver-haired nin.

-.-

A young boy of about four years old with fair skin, short spiky auburn hair, pale blue-green eyes and distinct black rings around eyes, looked around the corner before he ran behind a dumpster. The young boy fidgeted, he hoped that none of the foreign Shinobi had seen him. His uncle had told them that they were very mean and would hurt him if they see him.

"Why are you hiding?"

"Gah!" The redhead yelped and fell backward and landed on his bottom in panic. He looked up to see a kid his age staring down at him with a raised eyebrow, the kid was obviously a foreigner as he had never seen him before in the village. "W-what do you want!"

Shikamaru tsk'ed, he looked around to see that no one was around. "Why are you hiding? No one is chasing you?"

"Huh?"

"You don't talk much don't you?" Shikamaru said scratching his head in boredom. "What a drag, what's your name?"

"G-G-Gaara..." Gaara stuttered out in confusion. This was strange, no one had ever asked for his name before. Normally everyone would either say his name in disdain, fear or call him a monster. The only person who ever showed some kindness is his uncle. His siblings used to show him kindness, but… things changed.

"Gaara…" Shikamaru repeated the name, he shrugged without much of a care. "You wouldn't happen know where the park is would you?"

Gaara stayed silent, stunned. The next set of words caused the young boy to turn red in embarrassment. "Do you want to play tag!"

Shikamaru once again raised an eyebrow. "Sure, but do you want to eat first. I'm starving and I still have money left over from a bet."

"S-sure!" Gaara smiled brightly at the prospect of someone to play with that did not seem to fear him.

-.-

"Like I was saying..." Shikamaru said as he pointed at Gaara with his chopsticks, as he and Gaara walked towards the park with take-out boxes in hand. "He is an idiot by all rights but a funny guy you want to be around with."

"Why do people hate him?" Gaara asked him nervously, he swallowed his food thickly at the story that his new friends are telling him. It…reminded him too much of himself.

"Don't know." Shikamaru shrugged, he stuffed his chopsticks in his food and took out a piece of sautéed beef. "Everyone always calling him a fox, demon, monster or something of that nature. To me, he is just Naruto, the idiot, brat and the guy who always puts his friends ahead of himself no matter the risk…"

Gaara stopped and stood still as they reached the park. There were kids having the time of their lives playing with each other or with their parents or caretakers. It all changed when they saw him.

Shikamaru continued to eat his lunch as he watched the playground go from happy and calm to panic to right down depressing. In a matter of fewer than five minutes, that park is empty and the only thing that can be heard is the creaking from the still swinging swing set, merry go round and the echoes of screaming children. Shikamaru stuffed his chopsticks in the take-out box and threw it in a trashcan all the while doing this he only had a bored expression. "Well, I'm stuffed…Swings or merry go round?"

For Gaara's part, the youngest child of the Kazekage looked down disheartened at the sight. "Sorry, …this happens a lot…"

"And I'm used to it." Shikamaru said as he waved at Gaara to follow him to the swing set. "Come on, before it gets dark."

-.-

"How was your day, Shikamaru-kun?" Kabuto asked as he sat on one of the three beds in the room that Team Four had rented for their remainder stay in Suna.

"Eh, just like any other day back home." Shikamaru said as he created a pillow fort with all the pillows in the room. "Everyone is such a pain, how about you guys?"

"We staked out the village for the exams." Itachi said he sat in the corner of the room sitting on a wooden chair. He sat there sharpening his weapons, "Nothing more than sand, sand and more sand. In other words, we are going to end up walking into a trap if we are not careful."

"Are we ready for it though?" Kabuto asked he stared at his teammates for any sort of confirmations. "To enter the Chunin Exams where people actually do die in."

"Well, the way I see it..." Shikamaru began to say, he took Itachi's blanks off the bed and dragged it towards his for his fort. "It's just another mission, for the village. A mission that could spark issues for everyone around in participation, we need to showcase our abilities and show that Konoha is still as strong as ever."

"Where did you get that?" Raido asked as he sat on the uncomfortable sofa looking into several scrolls. He looked up and sweat-dropped, Shikamaru had not okay taken the pillows and blankets, but also the mattresses and other random items to create a fort that took up more than half of the room. "Shikamaru…what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I am doing?" Shikamaru deadpanned, he threw the last blanket over the fort and promptly jumped into it. "I am making a fort."

-.-

"He never once ran off, cursed at me or scream." Gaara said with much enthusiasm to his uncle Yashamaru, he ran around his room telling him his day with the boy with little to none enthusiasm. "He even got me a lunch!"

"You seemed to have a good day." Yashamaru said with a smile, but it did not match his eyes. In the back of his mind, he took done everything that Gaara is telling him about this so-called friend of his. "What is he like?"

"Well." Gaara plopped on a giant pillow. "He didn't even bat an eye when the playground was cleared up by the other children. All he did was ask me if I wanted to go to the swings or merry-go-round, he's great!"

"What's his name, Gaara?"

"Er…" Gaara hesitated, he glanced down at the floor as if he could find his answer there. "He…never told me his name."

"Gaara, that boy could have been an enemy in disguise," Yashamaru said in a soft tone, he did not want to provoke Gaara.

Gaara looked up with determination and sand began to swirl around him. "He's not! He said that that it would be too troublesome and too stupid to start something in a foreign village. Even if his village is a three-day run!"

'Three days…Leaf Nin…'

"He's here for the chunin exams too!"

To be continued…

R&R