A/N: I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It was fun to write. None of these chapters seem very long to me, but I'm not really used to writing in chapters, especially not from a single point of view. As always, if you like it, have suggestions, etc., please review and let me know.
Shikamaru was setting up their tent after the caravan had stopped for the night, listening to Hinata hum beneath her breath as she started the fire for dinner. His hands were busy with the fabric of the tent, but his eyes roved the camp, watching people about their business. A movement at the edge of the shadows caught his attention, and he turned his body in that direction under the pretense of gathering more tent stakes. His suspicions were confirmed: the target was making his escape.
He cleared his throat and turned his head toward Hinata. "Little bird," he said, and she slowly met his eyes, nodding once.
"I sing for you," she replied, signaling she understood, and slowly began packing away the cooking supplies.
He was satisfied with their code words, approving of the silent efficiency with which Hinata began to repack their belongings. If he hadn't known what she was doing he wouldn't have been able to tell that she was actually packing things up instead of unpacking. Her smooth motions impressed him. He moved their tent closer to the trees, quickly writing a genjutsu on a piece of paper and putting it in place with a stone. They hadn't been able to bring more than one tent, so an illusion would have to suffice until the next morning. When the jutsu expired, the paper would incinerate itself, leaving no trace behind but ashes. It was a simple but convenient technique to have.
Swapping the illusion for the real tent, he quickly got their packs together. There was no reason to hurry, since their target would be easy enough to track through the woods, but he didn't like being too far away from their charge. If something happened to him their mission fee wouldn't be paid, and there would be mountains of paperwork to do. The only time it was permissible to fail in a mission, no matter how minor, was if the ninja died.
Hinata doused the fire and hurried over to him, disappearing inside the illusion of the tent. He did the same, quickly lacing up the pack and securing everything. They faded into the forest, quickly shedding their civilian clothes and strapping extra weapons to their bodies, then took to the trees to search for the person they were supposed to be protecting.
"There," Hinata whispered, and Shikamaru could see her Byakugan activated in the dim light of evening. He followed the direction she was pointing and sure enough saw the faint signs of a person running through the underbrush. Twigs were broken and the faintest outline of a footprint was left on the mossy ground.
Shouldering the pack more securely, he nodded at her and began to move through the trees, straining his eyes against the darkness. After a few moments he let Hinata lead, her byakugan more reliable than his normal vision in the night. They didn't have to travel long before they found their target, stumbling through the dark forest with a light. The two ninja nodded at one another and wrapped their heads and faces with black cloth, not wanting to be recognized should they be forced to appear before him. The man walked for a while, then stopped at a tree, examining it. He looked about on the ground, picking up a stone and turning it over in his hands. A moment later he had discarded it and was striding quickly away in a different direction, eyes gleaming in the light of his lantern.
Shikamaru dropped from the tree and picked up the stone. A white arrow was etched on it, and he conveyed the direction to Hinata through hand signals. Scouting about, he discovered two indentations where the rock had lain. One was the location the rock had been in when their target picked it up. Shikamaru noticed, however, that the other location was older, which was where the rock had originally meant to sit. He signed to Hinata that he thought it was a trap, and he saw her head nod. Leaping back into the trees, he loosened the catch on his pouch of shuriken and followed Hinata as they pursued their target.
They followed him for three days, the lushness of the forest giving away to patchier woodlands interspersed with grasslands. Their target kept mostly under the trees, which Shikamaru was grateful for. It was more difficult to move unseen in tall grasses. He and Hinata took turns sleeping in the trees near their target, and on the evening of the third day stood watch as the man dashed into a field. A hut sat at the far edge of the grass, a wispy bit of smoke coming out of the chimney.
Shikamaru settled on the branch nearest to where Hinata crouched. "There aren't any lights on," he whispered. "What do you see?"
Veins appeared at her temples as she began her blood-limit technique. "The hut is full of people," she replied quietly, her words no louder than the breath passing over her lips.
He nodded. It was as he expected. "Go around to the back. I'll signal you."
"Yes," she said, and moved off silently.
Shikamaru dropped to the ground and quietly made his way behind the man, not letting his head be seen over the top of the grasses. It was uncomfortable and was definitely in the category of troublesome things. The target was still running towards the door, his cheeks flushed as the last ambient light of the sun disappeared, the stars taking over the sky. Shikamaru swore silently. Why were people such fools over love? It wasn't worth the trouble. Then again, if he knew Ino was waiting for him, eyes full of love, wouldn't he hurry? He tried to tell himself he wouldn't. He tried even harder not to remember the time he actually had, running to her to take her to the festival when they were sixteen.
His target stopped suddenly and Shikamaru nearly bowled him over, finding cover in the nick of time. Why wasn't the man moving toward the house? He slowly raised his head above the stalks of grass, hoping it was dark enough that he wouldn't be seen. There was another figure across the field. That person had also stopped.
"Yuri?" his target called out.
"Haru?" he heard a female answer. Shikamaru knew immediately that this was the woman their target had talked about non-stop. If it wasn't for the damn people inside the hut, their mission would be done and they could go home. Shikamaru had thought it odd, but he suspected that the female had some sort of bodyguard that would see the couple safely to their final destination.
He searched the area carefully, but it was too difficult to see anyone in the darkness. The moon wouldn't be out, which was bad. If there was no moon, there would be no shadows, which would complicate things. Hopefully there were other warriors with the woman, and hopefully they'd be useful. Hinata was probably in position by now, but he wasn't in a good spot to give the signal. Dammit, why did things always have to deteriorate so quickly? Luckily, he was prepared.
He was almost ready for it by the time the door of the hut was kicked off the hinges and people came spilling out of the hut. A fraction of a second later a dark shape appeared on the roof, and he knew it was Hinata. She wouldn't move until he signaled her, but at least by appearing to him she had obviously found a way to let him know she knew what was going on.
The target and his woman screamed simultaneously and flung themselves into the other's arms, holding each other tight in their terror as a good twenty warriors rushed toward them. Shikamaru popped up from the grasses and began to silently run to the couple, his kunai at the ready in his left hand. With his right, he pulled out some small bombs, igniting and scattering them as he leapt into the air. The bombs fell to the ground in front of the advancing warriors, sending turf flying amidst the smoke. The warriors fell back, coughing and shouting, which gave him enough time to throw himself into the middle of the fray. It looked like the strongest fighters were in the front, so those guys were the ones he'd take out first. Shifting a kunai to his right hand, he began to methodically slice away at his opponents, slashing at throats when he could and at abdomens when he couldn't. Warm blood sprayed his uniform and soaked through the cloth, sticking his clothes to his skin. A few warriors broke through the smoke and lunged at the target, but Shikamaru stopped them with a few well-thrown shuriken.
He stood up, panting and wiping blood out of his eye with the back of a knuckle. The metal plate on the back of his glove showed reflections of the stars. "Little bird!" he called out, and within seconds Hinata was by his side. "Herd those two into the middle of the field, where we can see everything. We need to get them away from the trees."
"Yes," she said, and immediately took hold of the target's wrist. The man struggled, attempting to defend the woman, but when Hinata took her wrist, too, they both went quickly enough. Shikamaru turned his attention from Hinata and her task to reevaluate the situation before him. He had managed to kill about half the attackers, the other half still trapped in the last bits of the smoke. Unfortunately, he had a feeling more people were lurking nearby. The best thing he could do was take them out all at once.
He formed a long series of hand seals, hoping they wouldn't move before he was finished. His voice shouted out the name of the jutsu, but the sound was lost as the attacking warriors bellowed in unison, charging him. He barely had time to leap into the air and release his technique, quickly falling back and closing his eyes. The bellows changed to noises of pain as the entire world exploded in light, casting lengthy shadows for a split second. That second was all he needed. He formed more seals, then applied his Shadow Bind, but with one small difference: not only could his prey not move, they also began to sink into the shadow spread out beneath them. They could only scream as they disappeared.
When the top of the last attacker's head vanished, Shikamaru released the jutsu and fell back into the grass, panting. It wasn't his ultimate technique, but it was close to it. A lot of time and thought had been put into developing that technique, expanding upon the talent of his clan. Unfortunately, it also put a huge drain on his chakra. He sat for a moment, catching his breath, then staggered over to where Hinata was standing. The target and his woman stood there, clutching each other, wide-eyed. Hinata's milky eyes were also startled, peering out at him from between the black wrappings around her head. So it was a brutal technique. Big deal. It was still quicker and kinder than the Rasengan.
"There's more," he told Hinata. "In the trees."
"They're just after my family's land," the woman said. "They can have it. Just let them have it," she sobbed.
"We can't. This is our job," Shikamaru replied, knowing that he violated protocol in speaking to them. He needed them tractable, however, and they wouldn't be unless he could keep lines of communication open.
"What?" the target asked.
"We're here to protect you, with our lives, if necessary." He watched the look that passed between them. Their eyes conveyed passionate love, and he felt as stab of jealousy. If only someone would look at him that way.
"But why?" the target continued.
He looked at them, knowing they could see his eyes. "So you two can keep on loving one another," he replied, and watched as they gripped one another more tightly. He couldn't see her mouth, but he knew Hinata well enough to know that she was smiling.
"They're here," she said softly, gesturing toward the trees with an inclination of her head.
"Formation, little bird," he ordered, and they both drew their kunai, backs against the couple.
"The greatest concentration is on my left," she said, and he was glad they had both been disguising their voices. The target would have recognized Hinata's for sure.
"Gotcha," he replied, and turned his attention. "Okay, you two, when my partner dashes forward, you're going to follow me. Got it?"
"Y-yes," the woman said, and the man nodded.
"All right," Shikamaru said, eyes flickering over the darkened field. "Let's do this."