Shikamaru's POV
The first lights of morning hit his face through the cabin window. Shikamaru opened his eyes slowly.
He noticed immediately the warmth that came from something huddled against his chest. He looked down and took in the wonderful sight of Neji's face resting peacefully against him with his pale slender arms around his waist. One of the Hyuuga's knees was bent and his sculpted thigh was draped heavily over Shikamaru's hip. The older boy breathed calmly against his skin.
He remembered, vaguely, waking up with his back against the cabin wall and Neji sitting on his lap. They had somehow crawled to the sheets. He remembered more precisely having gone over to the Hyuuga to stick his tongue in his mouth and make their bodies burst into flames again. He was irresistible. Having the boy next to him completely naked like that made him incapable of controlling himself. He simply wanted the Hyuuga too much.
That was starting to be the case at this exact moment. The image of Neji's body tangled with his made his blood warm, and begin to pool rapidly in his groin. Small shivers ran down his spine.
He didn't want to act like a horny teenager and just pounce on the Hyuuga again. So he tried to distract himself with Rajah's task of remembering his dreams every morning. But he found that scenes from the last night kept mixing in with what he remembered. Then other memories in which he threw himself against Neji's body until they were at the brink of exhaustion. So that certainly didn't help. He felt his hands moving of their own accord slowly wandering the Hyuuga's skin.
Neji sighed with pleasure and arched his back like a cat at the sensation. That made Shikamaru lose what little self control he had left in that moment. He pressed his hands more firmly against the soft pale skin while he aligned their bodies and locked the Hyuuga's leg over his hip. He could see the older boy smiling softly as he woke up to the touch. Shikamaru ran a hand along Neji's back, making the lithe body shiver and break out into goosebumps.
He leaned closer and ran his lips over the muscular shoulders and thin neck while the Hyuuga moved his head back to give him full access to his delicious skin. Shikamaru felt sharp nails digging at his hips with desire and moved them forward. In an instant, their already hard shafts touched making them both let out a heavy groan. Neji lowered his head. Shikamaru could see his cheeks red as fire, and his eyes shining with that intense pink he loved so much. Like magnets, they were drawn to each other as their lips crashed together in a searing kiss.
Half an hour later they laid back over the sheets, exhausted. Shikamaru couldn't help but hear a very clear thought that came to his mind: he wanted to wake up like that every single day of his life. With Neji's sweet, perfect body resting against his.
"I imagine you will be training all day again today." The Hyuuga commented, as he combed his thick hair with his hands, after putting his pants on.
Shikamaru watched him lazily, unabashedly appreciating the Huuygas sculpted body, while he buttoned his shirt. "Yeah…" He answered. "Rajah is supposed to explain that book to me."
His gaze roamed hungrily over Neji's bare pale chest. His legs seemed to move of their own accord towards the other boy. He stopped mere inches from the Hyuuga. The older boy smiled softly, comfortable with the proximity. Shikamaru lifted his hands to gently caress the thin skin of Neji's hips with his fingertips. He leaned in, placing their lips almost together.
"And what are your plans for today?" He asked against the Hyuuga's mouth. Neji stopped combing his hair and lowered his hands to the Nara's chest.
"I will spend time with my team." He replied calmly. He smiled at Shikamaru's heated look, which was full of lust. "Lee will surely want to compare fighting techniques."
Shikamaru arched an eyebrow. "Sounds fun." He said sarcastically, and then leaned closer to rub his nose against Neji's temple. "Maybe I'll see you after that?" He asked lowly, in such a tender tone that he didn't recognize himself.
He heard the Hyuuga laughing softly as he leaned his head into his touch. The older boy's hands traveled from his chest to his stomach, and kept going down until he reached the waistline of his pants. There, he slid them to the sides to hold Shikamaru's hips.
"I will come back before nightfall." Neji reassured him, earning himself tender kiss on the cheek from the Nara.
What's wrong with us? Why are we being so damn sweet? Shikamaru thought. But he couldn't help it. Neji just made him feel completely stupidized. Is that even a word?
After a long passionate kiss that had him suffering and wanting to jump the Hyuuga yet again. They finally pulled themselves apart, finished dressing and left the cabin. Neji started walking towards the village looking over his shoulder to give Shikamaru one last smile. The Nara watched him go with his hands in his pockets and bewitched eyes.
He took a deep breath of the forest air and let it out in a long sigh. If someone had told him that someday he would behave like that with another person, anyone, he wouldn't have believed it. He would have laughed in their face if they had said the other person would be Hyuuga, Neji.
Remembering that he had to start his training, he turned around and walked behind the cabin. Suimin was there licking something from the grass, but there was no sign of his sensei. He waited for only a few moments before the man emerged from the bushes.
"Good morning, kid!" He greeted cheerfully. His arms were completely full. In one, he carried what looked like several folders with papers sticking out of them. In the other, he had a big strange wooden object. Even with all he was carrying in his arms, as always, he had a cigarette dangling between his fingers.
"Are you ready for today's training?" The man asked, as he set the object in the grass and tossed the folders to a side.
Shikamaru hesitated, staring at the strange artifact. "I… think so…" He answered, doubting.
"Did you study the book I gave you?" Rajah questioned.
The boy nodded. "Yeah…" He replied. "But I couldn't make heads or tails out of it. You won't be able to teach me this, no matter how hard you try." He was convinced this was one thing that he wouldn't be able to do.
Rajah waved a hand in the air, dismissing his words. "Oh, don't say that." He answered. "You simply don't know what you're looking at…yet. Let me show you and you'll see that it's easier than it looks. Come, sit next to me."
With a steady motion, the man sat in the grass with his legs crossed. Shikamaru obeyed and did the same. "Hand me one of those things." Rajah indicated as he grabbed the wooden object and put it carefully in front of them.
Shikamaru leaned to take one of the folders and gave it to his sensei. While the man searched among the papers it contained, the Nara studied the strange wooden object.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed long taut strings. They went from one extreme of the box to the other. Obviously, it was an instrument of some sort. Shikamaru counted the strings quickly. There were thirteen of them. So, was he supposed to play that thing? Because it looked impossible to him.
Next to him, Rajah took one thin pile of papers and put it in front of them, right over the instrument. "Now, pay attention. This particular instrument is called a Koto."
During the next few hours, the man lectured. He explained to Shikamaru everything he needed to know to understand what he had read: the notes, sharps, flats, rests, key and time signatures, and how to create scales. And especially, how all those strange symbols he had seen in the book were translated to the strings on the wooden box.
He expected to be totally overwhelmed and confused by all of it. But very quickly, he realized that everything made sense in his head. Sheet music was really just a code that gave the instructions for which note to play, for how long to hold it, at which time, and with what cadency.
Rajah showed him, slowly pinching the strings with practiced ease and making incredibly diverse sounds flow from them. Shikamaru found himself memorizing, quite quickly, the position of the man's fingers and relating them to their name and their symbol. Unexpectedly, he found himself focusing intently on the lesson with true interest. He had no problem voicing each question that came to mind and his sensei answered them all patiently.
After three hours, he was already sight reading simple songs, and playing them on the instrument himself. He could understand, with no difficulty at all, what all those rows of symbols meant, and could remember their places on the strings. For some reason, he felt a strange tingle in his brain as he did it. Surprisingly, it was very similar to the sensation he got when he solved an equation, or when he was forced to remember large amounts of information. And he liked it. He felt all the cells in his brain working in perfect harmony. Fluid and fast like a powerful machine.
They stayed in the same spot for hours, more and more melodies pouring out of the strings until the sun began to descend. After Shikamaru finished one last exercise playing every tone perfectly, Rajah raised a hand over the instrument and ordered calmly but firmly: "Stop. That will be enough for today." Then, he gave the boy a happy grin. "I think someone was wrong about something, don't you?"
Shikamaru gave him an annoyed but amused look. "Yeah, yeah, you were right. I can do it." He replied, and then added: "So what now?"
Rajah cleared his throat before answering. "Well, boy," he said. "For the next few months this will be your training. Every day, you're gonna assimilate loads of information from fat books, larger and larger every time, and you'll have to use your fat brain to solve complex problems, in the shortest time as possible. You're gonna play more and more intricate pieces until your fingers move as quick as your mind. We're gonna take your mental process to the highest level."
Shikamaru looked at him with wide eyes. That sounded like a very intense training, something he usually hated. But on this occasion, at least he enjoyed the exercises. So he simply nodded.
"You'll do it great, you'll see," Rajah affirmed as he put a hand on the Nara's shoulder to stand up. "I'll take this with me…" he said, bending down, taking the folders and the instrument.
"Why don't you just leave them here?" Shikamaru asked.
The man shook his head. "No," he answered. "I don't want you pouring over this all night and not sleeping. I know you're eager to be left alone with this thing and mess around with it."
The boy shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Not eager," he replied whimsically. "Just curious."
Rajah dropped his head back and laughed. Shikamaru stood up and said goodbye to his sensei, who disappeared from the clearing seconds after. The boy stuck his hands in his pockets still enjoying that pleasant sensation of a good brain workout. He looked up and saw that the first stars had already appeared in the sky. It would be dark soon. Instantly, he remembered Neji's words: "I will come back before night".
Right now was "before night". He decided to have a cigarette while he waited for the Hyuuga. He started slowly walking to the cabin. But when he turned around the corner, a beautiful image made him stop dead in his tracks: Neji was standing near the door, but he had been intercepted by Suimin, who was licking his face and making happy sounds. The Hyuuga laughed softly, as he caressed the animal's head. "Hi," he told the beast fondly. "Are you hungry? Would you like a treat?"
Like he understood the words, Suimin lifted his ears and stared at Neji, expectant. The boy giggled. "I brought you something," he said, as he slid to the ground.
That's when Shikamaru noticed that there were three big market bags on the grass at Neji's feet. The boy bent over and took something from one of them and straightened, putting the treats in front of the animal's snout. Suimin smelled the food, moving his little tail with curiosity.
"They are fresh blueberries. Like the ones in your croquettes," the Hyuuga explained. Suimin didn't lose another second and licked Neji's palm taking as many as he could, he snorted, stomped his hoof and greedily licked more out of Nejis hand. The boy laughed again at his excited reaction, and Shikamaru couldn't help to let out an entertained giggle. At hearing him, the Hyuuga turned his head in his direction.
"You're spoiling him," the Nara said. "Now he will become unbearable."
Neji smiled broadly. "He won't," he affirmed, looking to the deer again and scratching his cheek. "I will give you more later, okay?" he told the animal tenderly. Suimin stared at him with stupid eyes and moved his ears strangely. Then, he lowered his head and simply didn't insist.
Shikamaru snorted, impressed, and started walking towards Neji. "I've never been able to do that. You definitely have to teach me."
When he reached the boy, he lowered his eyes to the market bags. "What do you have there?" he asked. "A blueberry provision for two months?"
Neji smiled, and shook his head. "No," he answered. "Are you hungry?"
Shikamaru opened his eyes wide. He realized he hadn't eaten all day. He was famished. "You brought dinner?" he questioned, feeling the corners of his mouth bend up inevitably at the sweet thought. Neji nodded with a big grin.
Shikamaru let his smile invade his entire face as he approached to wrap his arms around the Hyuuga's waist, hugging him as he planted a grateful kiss on his cheek. The older boy laughed softly, and put his hands on the Nara's hips. "I hope you like it," he said.
Shikamaru stared directly into Neji's big, nebulous eyes. "I will," he answered. Then he bent down to help the Hyuuga with the bags, and they both carried them into the cabin.
They sat on the floor and ate while enjoying friendly conversation. The Hyuuga had brought vegetables with rice, fish bars and hot bread rolls, plus a big bottle of water and fruits. Shikamaru thanked him a million times.
"Besides sleeping well, you have to eat properly to be healthy." Neji said as they finished. "I am sure your brain will appreciate the energy."
After eating, they put the leftovers in a bag on top of one of the boxes and laid down in the pile of blankets again, supposedly to sleep, though of course, it was quite a while before any actual sleeping occurred.
The next days passed by just the same way. They both woke up early in the morning and tangled on the cabin floor. Neji left to spend time with his team and Shikamaru trained with Rajah, working on longer and longer books, equations and melodies. At night, the Hyuuga always came back with dinner, and they ate together. Then they explored each others bodies with both calm and passion again and again, until they would fall asleep, exhausted, clinging to each other.
Shikamaru couldn't help but think that it felt pretty much like living together. It hadn't yet been a week, but the routine made him feel that way. And he surprisingly realized that he didn't mind it at all. A year ago, he had always thought that living with someone else would be impossible to him, because he liked to be alone most of the time. But he never expected Neji. He never got tired of being around the Hyuuga and seeing him every day when he woke up, and when he went to sleep. It gave him a strange feeling of warmth in his chest.
He definitely appreciated the food and the restful nights of sleep that the Hyuuga was giving him. His training was getting pretty tough, so any occasion to rest was a gift for his brain. Everyday, Rajah made him do different memory exercises, repeating big books and remembering complicated equations. It was exhausting, but at least it gave him that nice tingling sensation in his brain that made it easier to bare.
The music training was getting even more difficult and demanding, though. Each morning, Rajah came with a different instrument, and taught him how to play it. Flutes, different types of guitars, drums and many others passed through Shikamaru's hands. His sensei made him read and perform lengthy and complex melodies, sight reading while he did so. He also had to memorize different pieces of sheet music and change them at the man's hest while playing, remembering perfectly each one of them. Rajah was always next to him, keeping the rhythm with the swing of his hand.
He soon found that he liked the feeling that playing music triggered in him, because it wasn't just his brain which tickled. It was also his body. When he was playing, his skin bristled and the tension disappeared from his muscles. And eventually he discovered that it could do so much more.
One day, he was sitting next to Rajah, playing a particularly sad song in a Gekkin , reading the sheet music that was on the grass in front of him. Immediately, he felt that tingling sensation in his skin. Not being able to help it, he let himself get lost on the melodie, translating the notations he had learnt just days ago into deep, piercing notes that seemed to reach the most hidden areas of his soul.
At first, he didn't realize it. He was just too immersed in the music. But suddenly, he noticed. Something was crawling up his feet. Alarmed, he stopped playing and looked down. Two black tentacles were slowly crawling up his ankles.
Shikamaru jumped and almost dropped the instrument. But thankfully the tentacles retreated almost immediately, but he was shaken nonetheless. Rajah calmed him down and explained that it was just his shadows reacting to the contentment and relaxation in his whole body.
"They are connected to you," the man told him. "With your mind and with your emotions. That's why you have to learn to keep them under control. We'll train hard and help you to keep yourself centered, calm, and at peace with yourself. Then with your shadows, and I'll show you they can be an actual extension of your brain."
Shikamaru took the man's words to heart, and continued with the training. He was enjoying it, and he liked the challenge of learning something new that was so complicated. But, above everything, he loved going to sleep with Neji every night after, and getting lost in the boy's lips for hours, until his body was just as tired as his mind.
On the seventh day, Rajah appeared in the clearing with a big smile and new plans. "We're gonna make something special happen today," he told the Nara. "A little test. We need to go to the ceremony room, so we'd better start walking."
Shikamaru arched an eyebrow. That room was at the Hokage mansion, and at this hour, it was pretty likely that most of his friends were there working on different tasks. He didn't want to run into them, but he knew it was very likely that they would. He finally accepted it as a means to an end and accompanied Rajah to the center of the village.
As he suspected, just a few meters away from the building they found Naruto, Sai and Sakura. But that wasn't all. Kiba and Shino appeared next to them just seconds later. Team nine was headed in the direction of the fields to train when they saw them and approached as well. Shikamaru met Neji's eyes as he got closer. No one knew they had woken up naked together that morning, and that they were going to do it again the next day. They had to be very careful, and act naturally. But, of course, just like he had done the other time, Rajah invited everybody to watch.
"C'mon!" he exclaimed, guiding them to the Hokage mansion. "If he does as well as I think he will it'll be quite the spectacle!"
Inside, they found Choji and Ino talking to Hinata, and that completed the group. They all walked behind Rajah to the ceremony room. Once there, the expectant ninjas sat down, while Shikamaru stood in the center of the room. There were many instruments stored in their cases carefully supported against the walls. His sensei stood in front of him, and pointed with his hand to a big piano in the corner.
"That is called a piano," he said, like he was talking to an infant.
Shikamaru glared at him and rolled his eyes. "I know what a piano is," he said flatly.
"Well, did you know that this one is a ceremonial piano?" the older man asked. Shikamaru stayed silent, because he didn't. "Then, I guess you don't know everything, huh? Pay attention and don't get cocky, because this is a test. If you're able to pass, we can move to the next step."
Shikamaru held his sensei's eyes. This was serious, apparently. So he straightened up and nodded. "All right," he said. "What do I need to do?"
Rajah lifted a hand. "Wait," he replied. "First, let's make sure you understand this thing. Come."
Relaxed as always, the man walked to the piano and sat at the bench, indicating that he should sit next to him. Shikamaru walked to his sensei and did as he was bid.
Once there, Rajah proceeded with a detailed explanation about how to play the music the Nara had learned on those keys. He indicated the scales, and then played every key, from the first one to the last one, only once. Then he turned his head to the side and looked right into Shikamaru's eyes. "Got it?" he asked calmly.
The boy returned a stunned glare and then lowered his eyes to the piano. He could remember perfectly the exact place of each note. He knew how it would look written down, which meant he could also read it. Yes, he totally got it. But he wondered if he would be able to do what Rajah would ask him, and felt the need to see.
"Can I try?" he asked, raising his hands over the keys and looking at his sensei. The man took him gently by the wrist and gently made him lower his arm.
"Slow down," he said. "You'll try with a specific piece. A new one. I have it right here." He searched for a few seconds among the folds of his tunic until he found what he was looking for. It was five papers fastened together, he gave them to Shikamaru.
The boy took them and read the header. It said it was a piece of sheet music for piano, for a song he didn't know. He studied the notes, and his brain bristled. He could see it. He could see the relation between what those symbols meant and where he needed to place his fingers. He felt his mind working at a high speed, just with a simple glance. And it was exhilarating.
Shikamaru lifted the sheet to put it over the piano, ready to play it while he read. But Rajah stopped before he could do it.
"No," he said, firmly but kindly with a slight grin. "I want you to read it once, and then play it. We've been doing this with many instruments recently. I've seen what you can do. I'm sure you'll have no problem with it. Just focus on what you read, and you'll do fine.
Shikamaru frowned a little. This was so bizarre. He had never played a piano in his life, and he had to perform a whole song at once, and entirely by memory. He felt he could do it, but maybe not as fast as the music might require. If he could only practice a few times with the instrument first, it wouldn't be so hard. But he already knew that wasn't an option.
Rajah cleared his throat, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Well?" the man asked. "What are you waiting for? Go!"
Shikamaru shook his head, and concentrated on the music. He read it extraordinarily closely, thinking that a real musician could hear the notes in his head while he did. Not like him, who just had a weird amazing brain that could process any kind of language. He finished reading, trusting that his mind would store everything. Lowering the papers, he nodded to his sensei, indicating that he was ready to go.
The man smiled and took the sheet from his hands. He stood up and lifted a hand in the air. Shikamaru understood that he was going to set the tempo for him, and he situated himself in the center of the bench. He took a moment to study the keys. Slowly, he lifted his hands and put his fingers just inches above the surface of the lower ones without touching them and slid his hands over all the others until he reached the highest. He closed his eyes, intending to burn the information about the position of every key into his brain. Then, he recalled what he had just read in his mind.
After just one more moment, he opened his eyes and nodded to his sensei, indicating he was ready.
Rajah smiled at him, and stuck out his index finger, starting to move it steadily from left to right. Shikamaru took note of the tempo in the motion and lowered his eyes to the piano, keeping the silent tap of his senseis direction in his head. After taking a deep breath, he pressed the first keys.
The sound vibrated through the walls. Shikamaru felt his brain shivering at the pleasant task of running through a code. He followed the movement of his fingers with his eyes making sure he was pressing the right keys. It didn't take long for him to get lost in the process. Not even realizing it he closed his eyes, not needing to see the keys because he knew exactly where they were.
He kept playing and playing, not seeing the stunned looks his friends exchanged and that some of them stood up to see him from a better vantage point.
The sound traveled down the hall and attracted the attention of others. Some stopped at the door. Seeing there was something going on, more came to watch. That brought Kakashi, Asuma and Iruka, who realized there was a crowd forming and hastened to get to the front. There, they saw Shikamaru playing with amazing speed and precision. Even the Hokage came to see what was going on. The ninjas parted to allow her to the front. She watched the scene with wide eyes like the rest. Everybody was listening to the song, which resonated in the big ceremony room.
For a brief moment, Shikamaru didn't know where he was any more. He had got so lost in that beautiful sequence that his body felt as though it was on another plane. He came back to reality soon enough, just in time to feel something crawling up his legs. He didn't need to open his eyes to know they were his shadows. So he kept playing and let them be, realizing they were enjoying the sweet sensation too. They kept crawling up his thighs, to his chest, and down his arms and wrists. He couldn't help but smile a bit when a tender tentacle caressed his cheek. He let his hands wander the piano for the last few notes, letting out a deep, relaxed breath as he finished. His shadows retreated gently and disappeared.
Shikamaru opened his eyes and stared at the keys, lowering his hands as he re-entered the real world. After only a few seconds the strident sound of cheers and applause almost made him fall off the bench. He grabbed the piano to catch himself and turned around to find a large crowd watching him. Shikamaru hid his face, which was flushed with embarrassment and swallowed with some difficulty. He recognized some people, among them the Hokage, who looked at him with her hands on her hips and a big satisfied smile. She approached as the applause died down.
"I see your training is coming along nicely," she said. "With a broken mind you there's no way you could have done something like that in less than a month."
Shikamaru opened his mouth to reply, though he didn't know what to say. Luckily, Rajah interrupted him, bowing deeply to Tsunade. "What do you think, Godaime-sama?" He asked. "Am I doing a good job so far?"
The woman gave him a side look, but kept smiling. "You are," she affirmed, staring at Shikamaru again, who blushed a little.
After the crowd dispersed and Rajah told him that they were done with the training for the day. The Nara left the Hokage mansion with his friends. Some of them wouldn't stop telling him how amazing he had been, and he hated it. He had never liked having so much attention on him, so he simply stuck his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground.
They were standing near a shop, waiting for Choji and Naruto to buy some snacks. A few had left but while the rest talked, he dared to give Neji a quick glance. The boy met his eyes immediately, giving him a sweet and almost proud smile. Shikamaru couldn't contain a soft grin.
In that exact moment, an unknown voice sounded in the air. "Hello Neji."
The boy turned around to the sound, as did Shikamaru and the rest of their friends. It came from a young man from the Hyuuga clan. Apparently, he was just walking down the street with two others like him when he had passed near the group and saw Neji. They stood behind the boy, looking at him with cocky smiles.
Neji turned around completely and bowed to them respectfully. He was about to say something when the other Hyuuga spoke again. "I haven't seen you in quite some time," he said. "Have you guys?" He spoke to his companions.
The two other men took a step closer shaking their heads. The three of them surveyed Neji with their eyes. Shikamaru clenched his fists inside his pockets. He didn't like the way they were looking at him. He was pretty sure they were all Main House members.
"No, not for a while," one of the men agreed.
Neji opened his mouth to reply. Shikamaru noticed that the boy's body had tensed up and he was shrinking his shoulders a little. That meant he could absolutely feel those bastards eyes wandering over his body, leering.
"I have been working," Neji said, with a firm but respectful voice.
The three men almost missed his reply. They kept staring at him, sharing glances. "Is that so?" The man who spoke first said. "Well I have other work for you. We need the salon ready for the monthly meeting, and we need someone to clean it. Since you're here, you can help us with that."
After saying these words, the man locked his gaze with Neji's, enjoying watching the effect his words had on the branch member. The boy knew he couldn't refuse an order from a Main House member, so there wasn't much else he could do but acquiesce. Shikamaru's mind went into overdrive trying to think of a way to keep Neji from having to go with them. The stupid trick he had used with that old Hyuuga long ago wouldn't work this time. These were three young and apparently strong men, who wouldn't take insults from him. The first Hyuuga licked his lips with an aberrant smile, and commanded: "Come with us."
After that, he moved to give Neji space to follow them. The boy stood in place for a few moments and Shikamaru would swear he saw his fingers shaking. He gave all those present a goodbye bow and turned again, never meeting the Nara's eyes. The four of them started walking, leaving the little group behind.
Shikamaru stared at them with millions of alarms going off in his head. His brain started working at the speed of a light, searching for the best way to stop what he thought was about to happen if he let those three take Neji with them. There was nothing he could do from his position, because they had rights over the boy and could do what they wanted with him. Shikamaru ground his teeth together in anger. He needed someone with authority, and he only new one person that would most probably be willing to help and actually had the authority to stop them.
He didn't notice he was frowning deeply in the direction the group that had just disappeared, with his eyes wide with fear. He didn't want to imagine those guys putting their hands on Neji. He straightened completely to try to see where they were headed, clenching his teeth even harder without noticing it. Ino realized he looked weird.
"Are you okay?" she asked, watching him carefully.
Shikamaru didn't answer immediately, because he almost didn't hear her. He was just too focused on the situation at hand. He only knew he should find Hiashi, and find him NOW.
"Yeah," he answered sharply, not moving his eyes from their spot. But a second later, he turned around and started walking. "Gotta go. Bye," he simply said. Then started walking to the Hokage Mansion as fast as he could without making them think something was amiss.
His friends had no time to react. After he was out of their sight, he started running. Every second counted. Unfortunately, it was a busy afternoon, and the streets were crowded. Getting through them took precious time.
When he finally got to the building, he ran straight to Hiashi's office, going through the halls like a bullet. A chill ran down his spine when he imagined Neji alone with those men.
Panting, he stopped right in the doorway clutching the frame to steady himself. Inside, Hiashi was sitting at his desk, talking to another man as the both analyzed some papers. They raised their heads at Shikamaru's loud entrance. The Hyuuga met his eyes, noticing immediately his alarmed state. A second after, he frowned slightly, suspicious. "What?" He asked firmly.
Shikamaru stood straight and held his stare. "Sir," he said. "I need to speak to you."
Hiashi narrowed his eyes a little. "I am busy now."
Time was passing. Shikamaru felt his heart beating hard against his chest. He shook his head, impatiently. "It's urgent Sir," he replied. He stared pointedly at Hiashi, warning him.
Hearing that and seeing the look on Shikamaru's face must have made an impact on the man, because he lowered his guard. He straightened in his chair and looked at the other shinobi. "We will continue with this later, Tokuma I am sorry."
The man bowed respectfully and left the office. Shikamaru didn't lose a second and stepped forward. He spoke before Hiashi even asked. "Sir, three Main Branch members just took Neji with them back to the compound," he explained, hearing the fear in his voice.
Hiashi opened his eyes wide and stood up with a jump. "How long?" He asked.
"About fifteen minutes ago," Shikamaru answered.
Alarmed, the Hyuuga jumped over his desk and landed right in front of him. His reaction made the Nara fear the worst, confirming he had been right to be worried
"Did they say where they were going?" The man growled.
"They said something about preparing the salon for monthly meetings," he replied.
"The west ward," Hiashi affirmed, and started walking to the door. "Make haste. There is no time to waste!"
Shikamaru hurried behind him as they both moved through the halls as quickly as they could without drawing undue attention to themselves. Shortly after they left the mansion, Hiashi started running. The Nara didn't know if he should follow, but there was no doubt in his mind that he would follow. They entered the Hyuuga compound still running.
The older man activated his dojustu. "There, I see them," Hiashi pointed. Fiercely, he cursed under his breath. Then out loud: "Those bastards."
He directed them to a large building that seemed empty. They both entered, without ever having slowed down.
Neji's POV
He walked in silence between the three Hyuugas as they headed to the west ward. The men talked and joked around him, devouring his body with hungry eyes. Neji knew he shouldn't cross these guys. If he did, they wouldn't hesitate to use the Curse Seal. If not to kill him, surely to torture him. To a Main House member, the seal offered an easy way to weaken a Branch member. He had felt it many times. The pain of that mark burning his skin, and the horrible sensation and fear that his eyes would melt at any moment. But the worst part of that pain was that he had no hope of escaping it. He could only scream and pray for it to end, becoming easy prey to one or more Main Hyuugas.
To fight them would only increase the chances of being punished. That fact had been made very clear to him when he was a child. He hadn't been in a position like this in a very long time.
After his uncle had found out about what a specific Main House male had been doing to Neji years ago, he had always made sure to keep them away from his nephew. After that, the boy had simply avoided contact with them so as not to provoke them. Consequently, they had pretty much concentrated on other Branched Hyuugas that didn't have a powerful and frightening protector like Hiashi.
When he was younger though? He had seen dark days. The ghost of that disgusting man panting in his ear as he used Nejis young body for his own sick enjoyment would never be erased. He felt a chill run down his spine at the thought that he might be about to experience something similar again.
They got to the Hyuuga compound and walked directly to the meeting room. The lights were off, but the three men didn't bother to turn them on. They kept walking along the long corridor heading to the back rooms. Neji had been in that place a million times, serving food, cooking, and cleaning for those bastard's dinners and meetings. He always had to endure plenty of lascivious glances and obscene comments from Main Branch Hyuugas of almost all ages.
They were coming to the end of the corridor. There was old advice that was known to all generations of Branched Hyuugas: if a Main member takes you to the farthest place he can find, they are planning to use the Cursed Seal. They're just preventing people from hearing your screams. A wave of fear pricked along his skin.
After reaching the last door, they entered an average size room that was used to store chairs and tables for meetings. The men stopped and surrounded him like vicious piranhas.
"You have grown, Neji," one of them said, making a step towards him, his gaze traveled over his body. "You have become quite handsome."
Neji didn't speak. He just clenched his fists in preparation for what was coming.
"It's true," another agreed, getting closer as well, and studying Neji's body. "But I have always thought you were particularly luscious in comparison to the other Branched. You have something simply… Irresistible…"
The man lifted a hand and ran his fingers through the strands of Neji's hair that fell over his forehead. He jerked his head away, but the Main didn't like that, and grabbed him painfully by the chin. Neji felt the strong fingers digging in his jaw.
"Tsk," the Hyuuga spat as if he were a dog, forcing him to keep his head in the position he wanted, which was looking straight at him.
"I know why he is so irresistible," the third Hyuuga said, approaching him from behind. Neji could feel his gaze nailed to his body which started to shake slightly from the tension. "Because Hisao had never let us touch him. He selfishly kept him all to himself."
Neji's heart froze in his chest just hearing that name.
"Yes," the second Hyuuga added. "I don't understand those who take possession of Branched. They should be for all of us to use equally. What's the point in not sharing?"
The man who was grabbing his chin nodded, as he studied the boy's lips with lust.
"I remember that after Hiashi-sama found out he threatened Hisao with death," he sneered. "I suppose you just stayed around your beloved uncle for protection. Isn't that right, Neji?"
The boy held the perverts stare, and tensed even more, but still didn't speak.
"But your precious uncle protector is not here now, is he?" the second man whispered, grabbing Neji's hand.
The young ninja instinctively tried to pull away, but the Main Hyuuga grabbed his wrist and pulled him back roughly.
"It's not smart to fight little Branch," the man behind him murmured. He was so close that Neji could feel his breath against his ear.
"Yes," the one who had grabbed his waist agreed. "You know it's better to cooperate."
With a strong pull, the Main put Neji's hand on his crotch, forcing the boy squeeze his erection. Neji opened his mouth to say…. he didn't know what, but something. However, in that moment, the man who was still firmly holding his chin stepped closer and harshly crashed his mouth against the boys and shoved his tongue down his throat, kissing him with so much rage that he hurt his lips. The taste of the man's breath invading his mouth was disgusting.
Neji struggled under the onslaught but there was nothing he could do. Suddenly he was horrified as he felt the hand of the man at his back touching his hips and running his hands down to his ass. The Hyuuga pressed his fingers into the boy's buttocks, squeezing them harshly him with desire. Neji stifled a scream against the mouth that was suffocating him when he felt a rigid erection being pressed against his rear.
The three men were breathing heavily as they leered at the delicious beautiful boy. They started grabbing at his robe, pulling it off his shoulder revealing the creamy skin. He heard something being dragged across the floor, and a second later he was pushed into a chair.
The Hyuugas approached him with malicious smiles, and pupils blown wide with lust. One of them slowly slid his Hitai-ate and his ribbon back off his head letting them drop to the floor revealing the Curse Seal. He was so vulnerable at that moment. He couldn't fight back. When other of the men fisted his hair painfully, manipulating his head, Neji felt pain both in his body and in his pride.
"Let's see what you used to do for Hisao with that mouth," the first Hyuuga spat, starting to untie his pants.
Neji struggled, but the hand holding his hair held him, pulling painfully on his scalp. He shut his eyes, and couldn't keep the two tears from rolling down his cheeks. It was the result of his anger and frustration at not being able to do anything to defend himself from what was about to happen. He fought to contain himself. He refused to ever give them the pleasure of making him cry.
One of the men had put his hand into own his pants to pull out his erection when the four of them felt a powerful chakra signature approaching quickly. It was so strong that all four men stopped, looking with wide eyes in all directions. An instant later the door swung open, and Hiashi's furious figure entered the room at full speed. He glared at the three Main House members with disgust and contempt, the veins of his Bakugan throbbing.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM! -Hiashi bellowed
.
The three men jumped back and lifted their hands, frightened by the future clan leaders rage. Neji stared at the man, mortified at being found in such a compromising situation, but also so relieved.
Movement behind his uncle brought another figure to his attention. He saw a second person entering the room behind Hiashi. Neji's heart leaped seeing Shikamaru. The boy was out of breath, more than likely because he had run to get here so fast. The Nara's eyes were looking over him worriedly. Neji felt a rush of shame wash over him.
"Hiashi-sama," one of the Main Hyuugas said. "How did you…?"
"The 'how' doesn't matter," Hiashi growled, taking another step towards them. "Just remove yourselves from this place or I will remove all of you from this earth right here, right now."
The three men shared fearful looks and backed away from Neji a few steps more. They were well aware that Lord Hiashi was not one to be trifled with.
"We were just talking, Hiashi-sama," another Hyuuga lied, but Hiashi only gave him a deadly glare.
"I don't wish to hear your lies," he spat between his teeth. "Just get out of my sight."
At hearing those words, the men stared at each other again, silently agreeing that it was better for them to leave. They started walking to the door, staying as far as possible from Hiashi. Neji's uncle approached him, placing himself between his nephew and his attackers to watch them as they left.
Apparently they hadn't seen Shikamaru yet, because they stopped for a moment when they passed him in the doorway. The Nara didn't hesitate: he stepped menacingly towards them, gluing his furious black eyes on the first of them. The Hyuuga held his stare, but Shikamaru refused to lower his eyes as the three of them walked by him. The stance and attitude of the Nara was so threatening that Neji feared he might attack one of them. But he didn't. He simply followed them with a deadly glare, until they crossed the threshold and moved out of sight. Hiashi watched the Nara taking note of his reaction with interest. Only when the attackers were gone did Shikamaru turn around. Hiashi did the same.
"Kami, Neji," Hiashi started, approaching him with clear concern in his face. " Are you okay?"
The young Hyuuga pulled his robe up to cover his shoulders, hiding his face, embarrassed.
"I am unharmed uncle," he answered softly. "Thank you…"
He didn't dare meet Shikamaru's gaze. The boy had obviously warned his uncle about the conversation he had witnessed between him and the Main House members. Thanks to that Hiashi had arrived on time. But that meant he knew what those bastards intentions were from the beginning. Neji knew all of this wasn't his fault, but even despite that, he somehow felt guilty.
Hiashi was agitated. He started walking in circles, shaking his head and gesturing with his hands erratically.
"If we had not arrived on time…" the man whispered. "Kami, I can't even think about it…"
Neji lifted his eyes to look at Shikamaru, but the boy kept silent. He was frowning seriously, and the young Hyuuga thought he had never seen him like that.
"This is my fault," Hiashi said, like he was talking to himself. "I should have protected you, but I couldn't… If something had happened... I…"
Neji stood up, arranging his clothes and drying the tears he had shed.
"Uncle, I am fine," he tried to calm the man down. "Please, this is not your fault."
But Hiashi turned around and stared at him with such a pained expression that Neji felt a knot in his throat.
"It is," he replied seriously, and stepped towards him. "I should always be by your side to protect you. And now that we have crossed those Main House members, it will only get worse. They will try to assault you again, and I can't be around all the time." He paused, lowering his head and let out a tired breath. "Neji… You have to get back to the border, tomorrow. Konoha is not safe for you."
Hearing that, Neji looked at Shikamaru, but the boy's cold stare proved he agreed with Hiashi. He felt terrible for causing his uncle so much grief, so after a few seconds, he simply nodded.
"I will, uncle," he promised.
"I know you don't want to, but it is the safest place for you," Hiashi added, and then turned to the door. "Now let's get out of this place." But he stopped a second later, looking pensive, after a moment he looked at Neji again.
"You can't go home," he said. "I have a meeting with my troop tonight, and it could last hours. If you are in the Hyuuga compound, they could target you again…"
"Uncle, I don't think…" Neji began, but Hiashi stopped him.
"No," he stated firmly. "We can't take the risk. You should stay in the Nara forest for tonight."
He turned a questioning gaze to Shikamaru. The boy finally softened his gaze, and nodded slowly. "Of course, Sir."
Neji lowered his eyes to the floor, and saw his Hitai-ate and black ribbon at his feet. He knelt down and retrieved them. Shikamaru and Hiashi waited patiently until he finished tying them up again. Then they all silently made their way out of the Hyuuga domains.
The group walked silently, with Hiashi at the front and the two young ninjas side by side behind him. It was best to get out of the area without encountering anyone. Neji gave Shikamaru a side glance, and saw that the boy's eyes were moving quickly in every direction. He seemed to be scanning their surroundings. The young Hyuuga wondered if he was just on alert, or looking for enemies. For some reason, he had the feeling the Nara was actually watching the perimeter carefully, to record everything he was seeing in his amazing memory.
Neji remembered the way the boy had held that Main House members stare, as if he wanted to rip him apart limb from limb. He had to be careful with those reactions. He understood Shikamaru's feelings, but if the Nara dared to challenge the Main House, they could easily kill Neji with a simple sequence of seals.
They reached the main road and stopped. There, Hiashi told him he would wait for him at first light at the main gate, where he would see him off to the border again. They said their goodbyes, and the two young ninjas were left alone.
Neji took a long time before turning to face Shikamaru. When he finally did, the boys entire countenance different. He wasn't frowning, and seemed calm, though he looked a bit sad. He met the Hyuugas gaze. Neji saw the frustration and still a bit of fear his black pupils. He didn't know how to respond, so he simply lowered his head and stared at the ground.
After a long silence, Shikamaru's feet started moving in the direction of the Nara forest. Saying nothing, Neji followed him. They walked side by side until they passed through the thick line of trees, and beyond. Stopping only when they reached the cabin.
Darkness was settling in, so after they went inside Shikamaru crossed to the wall to light the lamp with his lighter. Neji turned his back to the Nara and looked out the window. After everything that had happened in the last hour or so he didn't know what to say.
The only people who knew these kind of things were commonplace inside the Hyuuga clan were members of the clan. No outsiders were aware of the putrid stench that, metaphorically, spilled out of those compound walls.
But now Shikamaru knew. He had seen the Main Branch assholes try to abuse their authority to take advantage of him. To sexually assault him. Would he think he was weak for not fighting back? Maybe it was more honorable to die fighting than to be used like that.
He shuddered. Not realizing it, Neji wrapped his arms around himself. He didn't want to die that way. The image of his father lying on the ground with a giant whole in his steaming head would forever be burned into his memory. He had cried until his lungs had hurt, but it didn't change anything. From that day forward, the terror of feeling that pain, the pain of the curse seal burning through his skull, gave him chills. Seeing Hiro's body on that awful mission had only intensified that fear. He couldn't help but remember the many times that man, Hisao, had tortured him with the power of the seal to have complete access to him. To rape him.
Suddenly, he heard slow steps coming towards him. He turned his head just an inch. Shikamaru searched his eyes. He could see the Nara's dark pupils fixed on him in the candle light.
"How are you?" The Nara asked in a gentle voice.
Neji turned around completely, but didn't meet his stare. "I am alright," he whispered. After a quiet moment he added, "Thank you for telling my uncle."
Shikamaru took a couple of steps towards him. "Fuck, Neji!" He said with a bitter voice. "I can't believe this. Is this what's actually going on inside the Hyuuga clan?" He paused. "This is horrible." The Nara's eyes reflected honest concern.
"I'm sorry you had to find out like this," the older boy answered.
Shikamaru shook his head, clenching his fist, his lips pressing into a straight line.
"Have any of those three ever…?" he started, but couldn't go on.
Neji understood, of course. He moved his head to the side slowly. "No," he replied.
The Nara took another step forward. "Has anyone?" He asked, seemingly fearful of the answer.
Neji lowered his eyes to the wooden floor. He knew telling Shikamaru would only increase the boy's hatred towards his clan. But the question took him back to those tempestuous, terrifying days. He felt the weight of never having told anyone about his deepest secrets. Not knowing why, he opened his mouth and started talking.
"A couple of years ago, when my uncle become head of the clan, he could no longer be around all the time. There was a Main House member who was… a little obsessed with me. It is quite common in the clan that a Main Hyuuga chooses a Branch member to keep them as their own. If an important Main Hyuuga likes you, he gives the order to the rest to keep their hands off of you. No one else can touch you, but he…" Neji paused. Disgusted by the memory and closed his eyes. "It happened only for a year, until my uncle found out."
Shikamaru took one more step closer, and spoke with a sorrowful tone. "Why didn't you tell your uncle sooner?" He asked.
Neji felt the shame growing in his chest, and he frowned deeply. "I was embarrassed," he answered. "It is not an easy thing to confess..."
The Nara slowly took the last few steps until they were inches apart. "Right, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I shouldn't have asked that." After a moment of silence, in which he seemed to be contemplating something, he spoke again. "Who was it?"
Neji lifted his head and studied Shikamaru's eyes. They were soft with concern, but still looked calculating. "What?" He asked, a bit surprised.
The Nara didn't flinch. "Who was it?" He repeated. "What is his name?"
Neji simply looked at him for a few seconds. Shikamaru had surprised him many times with his analytical mind and his carefully planned strategies. He couldn't keep giving him information. He had given too much already. Without lowering his gaze, he answered. "I'm not going to tell you that."
Shikamaru flowned slightly. "Why not?" He asked softly.
Neji watched him with sad eyes. "Because you will try to punish him," he said. "I can't even begin to imagine how, but I know it will be dangerous for you, as well as me. Shikamaru," he whispered, pleading. "You have to promise me you will not confront these people."
The Nara's eyes were firmly glued to his. The boy simply watched him for a long moment, probably processing the request. Finally, he crossed the distance left between them and lifted a hand to caress Neji's cheek with his fingers.
I'll try," was all he could promise.
The Hyuuga felt his heart shivering at the tender contact, and covered Shikamaru's hand with his, smiling softly, and pressing his face into the touch. The Nara's unconditional affection towards him always moved him. He wanted to protect him from his clan's abuse. But that thought brought him back to the moment when Shikamaru and his uncle found him with the three Main House members, he blushed, embarrassed yet again for the humiliating spectacle. The Nara must have noticed, because he brought his face to Neji's and spoke with a sweet tone.
"You don't have to feel ashamed," he said softly. "They should."
That night was different from all the previous they had spent together. They laid on the pile of blankets, as always, but this time they didn't take off anything but their shoes. Instead, they remained fully dressed, and did nothing but embrace each other in the silence of the night. Neji was surprised. Shikamaru had shown himself to be incapable of keeping his hands off of him when they were alone. But this time, the Nara opted to simply hold him, caressing the back of his head with tenderness, running his fingers through his silky mane over and over again.
Neji simply rested his head on Shikamaru's chest, letting himself be calmed by the steady beat of the boy's heart. He remembered the desperate sensation of fear he had felt just a short time ago, and realized how different it was from the calm peace he felt in that moment. Being with Shikamaru like this, in the middle of the Nara forest, made him feel safer in a way nothing else ever had. Not even in his own home could he have that sensation. Thanking the Gods for that, he embraced the body of the young ninja in his arms. He buried his face in the other boys clothes and breathed deeply, memorizing the scent.
Starting the next day, they would not see each other for at least seven months, and Neji realized now, that to go, was like leaving a part of himself behind. Shikamaru clung to him tightly, and his heart trembled.
Hi! It's really been a while. I'm sorry for making you wait for so long. But good news is that now I will have more time available to write. I hope you like this chapter, and what's coming! ^^
I want to especially thank MirandaZ, a kind reader who offered to help me smoothing out my English for you. I think the change is evident and that the contribution makes the story much more beautiful. What do you think? I would love to know!
Till next chapter!
-Corrections by MirandaZ-