A/N: Okay, that's enough filler for you. I'm pleased that nobody seemed to hate it. Or at least nobody left reviews that told me they hated it. For those of you that have been reviewing all along, I really, deeply appreciate your feedback. For those of you that have just begun reading and reviewing, I'm very happy you could join the story, and your feedback is also welcome! I'm sorry that I've given you a few cliffhangers. Well, not so sorry that I won't do it again. Still, this story does have a real ending, I promise, although you still have about 16 chapters to go. I hope you enjoy the chapter! I'm not sure the "bad guy" is as scary as I want him to be. Oh well, you guys will have to let me know.

"There," Hinata whispered, pointing to the southwest. "He's there."

Shikamaru squinted into the trees, even though he knew there was no way he could see the enemy through so much vegetation. "How far?" he asked.

"About 300 meters."

He glanced at his teammates, taking in their grim, attentive faces. All their eyes were on him, waiting for his words, trusting him. His stomach lurched, just as it always did on missions, but he wondered if he'd really be able to send his friends into battle this time. There was only one enemy, but they had no real information. He looked into the determined gazes of his friends and knew they would simply do their best, just as they had always done. "Okay," he muttered. "I'll go in with Lee. Hinata, I want you close to the battleground so you can watch him. TenTen, weapons ready, as always. I want you two to act as backup."

They all made various noises of assent, TenTen cinching her forehead protector. TenTen lived for battle, he noticed. She wasn't particularly aggressive, but a strange gleam came into her eye each time she went into battle. Lee, on the other hand, was calm and confident, but he wasn't addicted to the rush of battle. It was a job, and it was his duty to do it well and to the best of his ability. Hinata wanted to protect those she cared about, he knew, and also felt that it was the best way she could help Naruto. As for himself, he wasn't really sure why he fought. He did it because he had to, because he knew he was smarter than most and could keep his teams alive.

"Move out," he murmured, and they disappeared silently through the trees.

The target's name was Genda Unkei, and that was almost all he knew. The Genda family had some sort of bloodline ability involving water, but he wasn't sure what it was. The report hadn't listed it, and although Shikamaru had warned his teammates about it, it still caused him some worry. Genda was young, younger than he was, and yet was already a powerful criminal. He was apparently powerful enough to send out solo, something that the Akatsuki didn't usually do. Shikamaru wondered if the kid was even a full-fledged member, or if he was serving a different purpose for the organization. He glanced at Lee as they dropped to the ground at a run, dashing for their opponent, and wondered why this member had been targeted. Did Tsunade think because the target traveled alone that it would be easier for them to bring him in?

Shikamaru ducked behind a tree as Lee barreled in, perfectly silent as he aimed a kick for Genda's head. The ninja ducked the blow and whipped around, eyes wild, and counterattacked, but his fist sailed past Lee as he dodged. Lee's short ponytail whipped about in the air as he hit the dirt, sweeping at Genda's ankles, but again the enemy avoided it. The two separated, bodies flexed and ready as they sized each other up. Genda's eyes were a muddy blue, one corner of his eyelid twitching slightly. He pushed his brown hair out of the way and tucked it behind his forehead protector, his finger lingering over where the groove ran over the Mist symbol. Pulling the edges of his Akatsuki cape closed, he glared at Lee. "And why are Leaf ninja after me?" he asked, voice rough.

Lee simply stared back, round, black eyes never leaving Genda's face. "To fight you is our objective. Here we are. So far, so good," he replied.

Genda's eyes narrowed. "Fighting you is my objective as well. That taking orders garbage is exactly why I went missing."

Shikamaru liked to get things over with quickly. The sooner situations were dealt with, the sooner he could get home, and there were also fewer chances for people to get hurt. Sending out his Shadow Bind, he easily caught Genda and began to move forward, the ninja looking startled as his body moved without his input. "And so now you're an Akatsuki flunky. Oh yeah, you've moved up in the world."

Much to his chagrin, Genda didn't even look the slightest bit worried. "There's a reason that the Mist hasn't re-captured me," he said quietly.

"Yeah, yeah, your bloodline ability," Shikamaru sighed. "We know about it. That's why we're going to end this quickly."

"You might be surprised," Genda hissed, and Shikamaru went straight for the kill, shadowy hands moving up the young man's body and grasping at his throat. A smirk crossed the missing-nin's face, causing Shikamaru to hasten his technique. The enemy's face twitched, eyes bulging a bit as the shadowy fingers tightened, but his smirk merely turned into a grin. It was incredibly irritating.

Shikamaru was scowling with all his might when he felt himself shiver. Was there a chill wind blowing? He looked about, but nothing seemed changed. His skin contracted, goosebumps appearing as he began to tremble with cold. "Are you okay?" Lee asked, still circling Genda.

"Just cold," he replied. Dammit, why was the ninja taking so long to die? "Kai!" Shikamaru shouted, forming the seal with his left hand. Sure enough, the trappings of reality fell away from him to reveal the truth: he was merely holding a chunk of ice in his Shadow Bind. He immediately released the jutsu, looking around as he shuddered with cold. Lee didn't seem to be affected at all by the temperature.

"Where did he go?" Lee asked, looking around the clearing.

"Right here," Genda whispered, and sent a powerful punch into Lee's kidney. He saw Lee wince as the Leaf-nin replied with a roundhouse, forcing Genda to stagger back as he blocked the kick with a forearm.

Shikamaru was starting to shake uncontrollably. It was becoming more difficult to concentrate on what was going on. Was it another genjutsu? "Hurry up," he shouted to his teammate, and Lee merely nodded, scowling as he narrowly avoided another blow by the Mist-nin.

"I'm getting tired of you," Genda snarled, lashing out with a kunai.

"That's my cue, then," Lee replied, reaching down and releasing his leg weights in mid-stride. Shikamaru smirked as Genda's eyes widened in surprise. Lee blurred out of existence and reappeared behind Genda, thrusting his palm at the back of the target's head. Genda grunted and lurched forward, landing in the dirt. Pulling out his own kunai, Lee twirled it around his finger, lowering into a crouch and readying the weapon. Before Genda could move, Lee was on him with his unbelievable speed. Shikamaru couldn't even see Lee as he battered Genda, the target's body seeming as if it was jerking around in mid-air of his own accord. Through his shivering, Shikamaru gasped as he saw Genda's eyes widen as the young man grinned. Lee leapt away with a yell, cradling his hand. Shikamaru could see the limb was blue, ice crystals covering its surface. Suddenly everything made sense; the cold that was causing his shivering, and Lee's icy forearm, was part of the bloodline limit Genda possessed.

"Get away from him!" Shikamaru shouted, doubled over with cold. He couldn't even move his body, and he hoped TenTen and Hinata were well away from the battle, but still watching in case they were needed. The thought of them coming into the situation unawares made him shiver worse than the cold seeping slowly through his blood.

Lee's eyes blazed. "I can't be beaten," he told Genda, teeth clenched. "I have the most talented kunoichi of all time waiting for me at home. I cannot disappoint her."

"Whatever," Genda snarled, wiping blood away from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. His dull brown hair was waving in his eyes, but Genda didn't seem to notice it, merely smiling again.

Lee grunted with pain, and suddenly his other arm was encased in an icy covering. "He doesn't even have to touch you!" Shikamaru shouted, the situation rapidly deteriorating. If only he could get warm enough to think straight. He could come up with a strategy if he wasn't so damn cold.

A shout rang throughout the clearing, Genda's smirk dropping off of his face as he lowered his body and raised his kunai. Lee's body glowed with red light, his skin changing color as bits of turf broke away from the ground around him. The corner of Shikamaru's mouth curved upward as the icy coating on Lee's limbs shattered, a thousand ice crystals hanging in the air around him. No one in Konoha thought Shikamaru's team was particularly spectacular, especially not compared to Naruto's and Neji's teams, but he knew differently. Lee could open all of the Gates, Hinata could see chakra, and TenTen was unrivaled in her mastery of weapons. "Five," Lee called out, and Shikamaru's face set in a grim expression. That was far too many Gates for Lee to be opening, but it was too late now. Lee was past the Limit Gate. Genda vomited blood as Lee punched him in the stomach. Only Lee's aura could be seen as he dashed around the clearing, pummeling the enemy. Shikamaru counted the seconds, trying to keep his eyes open. He was so cold, and so tired…

Suddenly a voice was at his ear, his consciousness rising towards warmth against his skin. "It's chakra, it's chakra-created ice," Hinata whispered to him.

"You should be still hiding," he moaned, his muscles screaming as they began to warm up. Chakra glowed beneath Hinata's palms.

"You were going to die," she replied, white eyes hard. "I won't let you die."

He snorted. "Nothing I can do about it now. Getting upset would be way too much trouble."

Hinata smiled. "Glad you're feeling better."

Shikamaru nodded, rubbing his burning arms. He had always loathed the feeling of warming up after being outside all day in the cold, even when he was a kid, and his entire body felt like that at the moment. Opening his mouth, he was about to ask her where TenTen was when Hinata's expression grew tense and pained. He whipped his head around to see Lee skidding across the ground, hair standing on end. Both his legs were encased in ice. Genda howled and jumped across the clearing, coming down on Lee's legs and shattering the ice. Lee screamed, immediately dropping out of the open Gate status, and clenched his teeth, breathing quickly.

"Dammit," Shikamaru said, and prepared to attack, shuriken drawn as Genda circled around for another attack. Lee gurgled as his arm was enveloped by frost and was again brutally broken by Genda's blow. Genda moved forward, going for Lee's head, when suddenly projectiles rained down upon him. He hissed and jumped backward, the ground in front of him covered by metal.

"Back away," TenTen growled, dropping from the trees. "Touch him again and you're dead."

"Think so?" Genda sneered. "Too bad you're so set on protecting him. You're not bad-looking. I'd take you home."

"Sorry, I'm married," she snapped and moved in. Genda managed to dodge the first swipe, but the blade TenTen had concealed against her forearm lashed out and sliced through the fabric of his tunic, laying open the skin on his chest.

Genda's eyes widened. "Bitch," he snarled, lunging forward. She responded in kind, vaulting over his head at the last minute and producing a kunai. Bringing down the knife, she cut toward his shoulder, only to have the blade ricochet off of him. Leaping backward, TenTen crouched, eyes focused on her opponent. "Ice armor, you see," he explained, and Shikamaru filed away the information. What else could the Mist-nin do with ice?

"It's not going to save you," TenTen smirked, throwing a few shuriken his way.

Genda dodged, retreating, and yelped as he was tangled in wire. Shikamaru had seen TenTen stretch it as they fought, admiring her skill. Of course, he wouldn't have noticed it, had he not known what to look for. "Go to Lee," he ordered Hinata.

"You're not healed yet."

"I'm fine. He's worse off."

Hinata nodded her head and dashed away, appearing at Lee's side a moment later and dragging him off to the edge of the trees. Shikamaru took a breath, his limbs still burning, and took off toward Genda at a run. He avoided TenTen's lines, backing her up as she darted in to cut the enemy. Shikamaru was worried; Genda so far hadn't shown any real outstanding ability, aside from the ice thing. What else could he do that would merit his entrance into the Akatsuki? His hand-to-hand skills were lacking, and TenTen seemed to be having a field day.

Genda narrowed his eyes, and suddenly all the lines in the clearing were covered with a coating of frost. Moving a bleeding wrist, he flicked one of the wires and smiled as they shattered, so cold they had become brittle. Shikamaru paled; just what sort of temperatures was this guy capable of generating? He knew all about the makeup of TenTen's wire, and only temperatures well below zero could make the wire so fragile. "Move!" he told TenTen, but she wasn't fast enough. Particles from the air suddenly gathered in Genda's hand, and he lashed out at her, piercing her shoulder. "Dammit," Shikamaru cried, grabbing her as her knees buckled.

"Switch," Hinata shouted, passing him as he retreated and tossing him a roll of bandages. He dragged TenTen over towards Lee, who was out cold, his limbs splinted. He quickly wrapped TenTen's wound.

"It's nothing," she snarled, trying to push past him.

"Sit down," he snapped. "We're not screwing around here. I'm going to back up Hinata and see if I can get him from behind. If we need a distraction it's going to be up to you to provide it. You still have one good arm, so we need to make sure nothing happens to it."

TenTen's eyes were hard, but she nodded. "Hurry up, then. It'd be so much easier if we could just kill this guy."

"I know," he replied, and whirled around to see Hinata engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Genda. She hadn't taken any blows, but Genda was smiling.

"Is that all you got, girlie?" he sneered, muddy eyes full of glee. "Your blows barely feel like anything at all!"

Shikamaru smirked as he flanked Genda, getting in position. Hinata smiled as well, narrowing her eyes as she began striking his vital points. Genda grunted, trying to back away from her needle-like blows, but Shikamaru was ready for him, catching him in a Shadow Bind. Genda's body quivered with tension as Shikamaru stood still, letting Hinata use the Mist-nin as a punching bag. "How goes it?"

"Almost sealed," she replied, then collapsed into a heap, her eyes rolled back in her head.

Shikamaru stared as she crumpled, shocked. What had happened? A movement caught his eye and he saw TenTen standing, releasing another barrage of missiles at Genda. "What did you do?" Shikamaru demanded, tightening down his Shadow Bind.

"Boiled her brain," he chuckled. "Instant heat stroke."

Shikamaru stood perfectly still as a kunai sped toward Genda's head, cursing inwardly as the weapon clattered away, useless. Genda's face and forehead protector sparkled with ice. TenTen gasped, then she also slumped to the ground, falling partially across Lee's ruined body. "Dammit," he growled. His brain raced as he tried to understand what was driving Genda's power. It didn't matter; he had to do something fast, before his team was doomed.

"That white-eyed bitch sealed most of my chakra away," Genda snarled. "I'll have to make this quick."

"That's my line," Shikamaru said, and performed a series of seals, suddenly fading away into his own shadow. He reappeared in Genda's shadow, his semi-transparent hands gripping the Akatsuki member's wrist and pulling him downward. Genda didn't have time to struggle as Shikamaru whisked them through the shadow world, dropping the young man out of the shadow at the bottom of a branch high up in the trees. Genda shouted as he plummeted the hundred feet to the ground, and Shikamaru was sure he heard snapping of a human limb. Quickly following Genda's descent, Shikamaru was about to attack from the shadows at the base of the tree when he saw a frightening thing: Genda was floating atop a cushion of water, the leaves and grass around him dry as tinder. Shikamaru ground his teeth and lunged forward, his shadow form melting into the dappled patterns the leaves cast upon the ground, and plunged his hand through Genda's chest. He released the seal, becoming solid, when Genda's body burst into droplets of water. It was a clone! Spinning around, Shikamaru prepared to deal a lethal blow when he suddenly stopped short, his body coated with ice.

Genda appeared from behind a tree, cradling a broken arm. "You actually damaged me," he snickered. "I really wish I could kill you."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "And what's stopping you?"

"I'm not supposed to. Orders, you know."

"Yeah, I know how that is. I thought that orders garbage was the reason you left the Mist. "

Genda sighed. "I just happen to agree with these orders. Even if I can't kill you, I still get to hurt you."

Shikamaru struggled, but his clothes were hardened with ice, stinging his skin. It was then he figured it out. Genda didn't just have dominion over ice, he actually controlled water molecules themselves. He could heat or freeze those molecules with chakra as he pleased, and since the human body was made up of so much water, he could probably even control another person solely by forcing the water molecules in their limbs to move a certain way. "Dammit," Shikamaru spat, mind racing.

"I guess I'll show you what this bloodline ability of mine can really do," Genda smirked and raised a hand. Shikamaru's hand raised as well, curled into a fist, and hit himself straight in the jaw. His head recoiled at the impact, which fortunately didn't have much momentum behind it, seeing as how his arm was the only part of him that had moved. "This is going to be fun."

Shikamaru's vision blurred, partially stunned by the blow. This was it; there was no way out. He obviously would live, since Genda was forbidden to kill him, but it wasn't likely to be a pleasant experience. He settled his mind to shy away from the pain, wondering what would become of his friends.

Genda didn't give him much time to worry about it, immediately moving in and doing the dirty work himself, pummeling, boiling, and freezing Shikamaru as he saw fit. The last thought Shikamaru had before he blacked out was that it had been the most painful day in his entire life, and then the merciful darkness of oblivion claimed him.