So sorry for the delay in posting everyone! It's been a crazy week here with a lot of homework and traveling!
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Only a Shadow can Reach into the Darkness
Chapter 11: Year 1
***Time Skip 3 Months***
Naruto looked around the bustling town he now stood in. People had always looked down on him whenever he had gone on missions before. He was too loud, too cocky, too orange. Eventually, he always won their hearts over, but the amount of time and effort he spent in the process nearly outweighed the satisfaction.
It hadn't been long since the two had set off on their adventure, and the unease Naruto felt around people still tugged his spirits down. He wasn't on missions, so there weren't any rude customers he felt he needed to heal and no one knew what he carried within him. For the first time in his life, he could go about his business without fear of being beaten or called obscene names - and he had no idea how to handle it.
Jiraiya had been watching him like a hawk, reminding him over and over that there was no need for him to hide behind happiness if he didn't want to. Eventually, the old pervert gave him a lecture about who his father was and why he would entrust such a burden to his own son. The reality of his lineage tore him to pieces and rebuilt him just as fast. If the revered fourth Hokage believed in him that much, he would be hurting their legacy by admitting defeat.
But yet again, here he stood looking around at all the villagers, waiting to be hurt.
"Are you Uzumaki Naruto?" A voice chimed. The blonde could feel his skin prickle as he heard his name; someone had recognized him. Slowly, he turned around to find it was just some weird guy wearing obnoxious goggles with a green hat and suit. The man nodded swiftly as he handed Naruto an envelope before running off into the crowd.
The letter in his hand had been delivered via courier ninja and had a Konoha postmark. "Someone really wanted to reach me…I wonder if it's-"
Naruto caught himself before his thoughts could go any farther. Shikamaru wouldn't have put in that much effort and in any case, if it was from him he would just keep it somewhere safe and not read it. Sighing, Naruto headed back to his room to read his letter in peace.
Flipping it over, he recognized the crest. "Sasuke?" He thought to himself, "what the hell does the teme want?"
Naruto,
You ran out of town before we had a chance to talk… dobe.
-Sasuke
The blonde felt his eye twitch a little as he read the most Uchiha style note ever written. Even on paper, Sasuke refused to be long-winded. Upon closer inspection though, Naruto could see that there had been something elsewhere 'dobe' was placed, but it had been erased. He also saw signs of an eraser before Sasuke's name, though he couldn't make it out. Scribbling on the same piece of paper, Naruto simply wrote 'Fuck you teme. It's not like you actually talk anyway!' He smiled as he doodled a small Sasuke without a mouth next to his response.
He folded the letter and shoved it into a new envelope, preparing to take it to the post office. Before he could make it out the door, a needy feeling filled him. He had always been attracted to Shikamaru, but Sasuke had been his closest friend before the Chunin exams-before everything had come crashing down.
Naruto bit his lip with a pained expression on his face. He gradually pulled the crumpled note back out into view. What if this was just a prank to hurt him? What if Sasuke didn't reply? What if he tried to leave again after they rebuilt their friendship? He wanted so badly to have someone close to him; someone to make him feel less alone.
Shaking slightly from the worry he felt in his blood, he simply wrote 'we are heading to Rice Country now.'
Sasuke couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from turning upwards at the crude drawing. He was relieved that Naruto had answered his letter and even more pleased that he knew where to send the next one to. The Uchiha stared at the clean paper he had pulled from his drawer for the longest time. There were plenty of things he could have written, but his pride was still preventing him from being too friendly to the blonde. He hoped Naruto hadn't noticed the erased parts of his previous notes. He had almost sent the blonde a letter asking how he was doing, and signing as 'your friend'.
"I can't believe I almost killed Naruto. Now I feel responsible for his attempted suicide. I know there is more to it than just a loose seal, but, I don't want anything getting in the way of my revenge." As the war between pride and friendship waged on in his mind, he began his note.
***Time Skip***
He was crouched down, eyes closed, with his hands in a familiar circle. The various results of the battle shot through his mind until he found one with a favorable outcome. Within minutes of his direction, the squad had won without any serious injury. Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief when his team surrounded him in victory.
"Nice going Shikamaru!" Choji said as he nudged the smaller boy. All Shikamaru could do in response was smile lazily.
"We should get going," the brunette said after a few moments. Ino, Choji, and Neji nodded in agreement before they began their long trip back to the land of fire. "I wonder where Naruto is right now… No stop thinking about him. He made it clear that he didn't want to pursue anything farther."
Shikamaru shook his head, disapproving of his own train of thought. The others looked at him and then at each other. He had been acting this way since Naruto left nearly six months ago, and it only seemed to be getting worse. They had succeeded in the mission, but the Nara had uncharacteristically made a judgment error that caused a scuffle to devolve into an actual battle.
"Oy! Shika, you should cheer up! We did get the scrolls to the land of water after all!" Choji exclaimed, attempting to bring the brunette back to the world.
He rolled his eyes at his best friend. Everyone had been trying to 'cheer him up' since the blonde idiot ran off. The only thing that he really wanted to do was sit on his favorite hill and watch the clouds drift across the sky, forgetting the reality that had so obviously distressed him. Shikamaru stopped quickly, "We will camp here tonight. I think we all deserve a rest."
Shikamaru laid in his makeshift bed staring at the tent above him. He was trying to run back through the events of the day, straining his mind to determine how he had miscalculated the enemy's ability levels. Hearing the movement of cloth, he pulled his chin to his chest to see who was further distracting him.
"Neji, it's late, you should be resting for our journey tomorrow."
"As should you Shikamaru, and yet here we are."
"Alright what is it?" The brunette asked as he forced his body into a seating position, crossing his legs and leaning slightly forward. Neji's white eyes stayed focused on him, as he sat down too. "Have you heard from Naruto?"
Shikamaru glared at the question, "why would I have heard from him?" he asked.
"I just thought that you would have tried to reach out to him by now that's all. Even that traitorous Uchiha bastard writes to him," the older boy stated, his eyes were, if possible, staring even more intently now. He started to smirk as the younger boy struggled to repress his irritation. "It would only be natural for you to be resentful of him. Naruto went to great lengths to bring Sasuke back, I'm sure he cares for him a great deal. Is that why you are refus-"
"I'm doing what Naruto asked me to do Neji. If he wants to be with that red-eyed dick head of a shinobi then…. Then I will support it, as we all should." Shikamaru interrupted. He had intended it to come out as a caring statement, but jealousy and venom dripped from his voice.
Neji crouched to leave, a sad smile on his face. "Naruto has told Gaara how much he cares for you. So much so that he will deny what you both want to protect you from the life he has had, the life that we all ignored until six months ago."
Shikamaru couldn't believe what he was hearing and scoffed. "And how would you know what Gaara of the Sand has been told?"
The brunette had now exited the tent, but leaned back in slightly, "I don't think my lover would lie to me" he said plainly. There was absolutely no reaction on his face to his own statement until Shikamaru's jaw fell open. Neji just tilted his head a little further down, signaling that what he said was not general knowledge and should be kept from being such.
"Perhaps speaking with the idiot will relieve you of your distractions. You are the squad leader after all and I would prefer not to get killed any time soon." With the last word, Neji disappeared from the cloth opening leaving Shikamaru to contemplate everything that he had been told.
Shikamaru leaned back onto his pillow and pulled his arms beneath his head. "Gaara and Neji huh, I did not see that coming. I had been so focused and put all my effort into training when you were here so that you and my other friends would never get hurt under my leadership again. And here I am nearly getting this squad killed because you left. Maybe I really am losing my edge…. Naruto."
***Time Skip***
Dobe,
It's been almost a year since you were back here in Konoha. Did you finish learning that new fighting style yet? I bet it still won't be much of a threat to my Sharingan, but I will indulge you when you come back.
Your favorite ramen shop has a new dish out now. They say it is the best one yet, and you don't get to try it for another year and a half. Who would have thought you would end up leaving just months after I tried to?
I need to know Naruto, you had me lie for you at the hospital. Was what happened my fault?
Your Friend—Sasuke
Sasuke,
You don't know anything Sasuke-teme, my new skills are going to knock you on your arrogant ass when I get home. Do they really have a new ramen? You better not be lying to me or I'm going to beat you to a pulp twice. Try it for me?
No, it wasn't your fault Sasuke. I didn't mean what I said that night, I was just upset. I care about you a lot and I don't want you to worry about me, you're my best friend.
Your Best Friend—Naruto
Gaara,
It's been a while since I last wrote to you! I know you are busy now being the Kazekage or whatever. I'm going to be Hokage soon though, believe it!
Have you heard anything from Neji recently? Shikamaru still hasn't written me a single letter and the person I thought wouldn't has. Sasuke is really starting to not be such a teme (at least in his letters), and we are getting close again, so I don't want to ask him to do the spying on that lazy ass.
Oh, and hey! Remember to give me more details about you and the Hyugas' ongoing romance! Are you still the top? I can't wait to give him shit about that when I go home!
Your Friend- Naruto
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