A/N: Yeah, I know a lot of you guys think this story will bring you up short, but I promise that the ending will be somewhat…different. Hope that makes up for it.
Yayness! One of my fave authors reviewed.
Chapter 3: Descent of DarknessShikamaru opened his coal-black eyes as the pale, morning sun shone brightly on his face.
"Dammit." He muttered, swinging his legs over the edge of his bed. "Main matches today. I'm gonna hate this day, I just know it."
He shot a look at himself in the mirror. His face was really pale, and he saw the faintest traces of bags underneath his eyes. He sighed and turned away.
He walked down the steps slowly. Still three hours before the matches would start. For someone so lazy, he sure had a knack of getting up early.
Opening the door and stepping out onto the porch, he looked around and smiled. The day was sunny, yet a cool, crisp breeze kept it from being unbearably hot. He looked up. The clouds were nice. All things considered, it was a really perfect day…
…if you didn't count the fact that the matches were happening today.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and sauntered off, not really caring where his feet were taking him.
He stopped short. Hinata was standing on the rooftop of the Hyuga household. She was obviously training, moving around in soft, gently motions. She was so graceful, her fighting looked like dancing. Her movements reminded him of water, smoothly flowing, undisturbed.
Suddenly, he came back to reality. Biting his lip, he turned away.
Stop dreaming, you idiot. He thought bitterly. She likes someone else, remember? Stop fantasizing about her. You'll only get hurt.
Too late. I'm already hurt.
He knew he had to let her go, but she made that virtually impossible. Like a gentle enchantress, she cast a spell over him that kept him forever attached to her.
"Shikamaru-kun?"
He stopped and looked back. She was at the edge of the roof, looking at him concernedly.
"Are you alright?" She asked, her tone worried.
"Of course." He said, arching an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
"You look…worried. And…sad."
He shook his head. "Don't worry," he said, attempting a smile so she would stop worrying. "I'm perfectly alright."
She smiled happily, and Shikamaru's heart skipped a beat. "I'm glad." She said, standing up.
Suddenly, she started to wobble. Unable to regain her balance, she started to topple forward. She didn't utter a sound, but the fear and surprise on her face spoke loud enough.
Shikamaru dashed forward, willing his legs to go faster.
Then, he saw her fall safely into the arms of someone else.
"N-N-Naruto-kun?" she seemed shocked. Then, a crimson line appeared across her face. She smiled. "A-arigato, Naruto-kun. I-I…"
He smiled back, still holding her in his arms.
"You really should be more careful, Hinata-chan."
She blushed deeper as Naruto knelt down and gently placed her into a sitting position.
They looked so happy together.
Shikamaru turned away, trying to ignore the pain that burned in his heart. Trying to endure the painful sound of his heart breaking, once again, into tiny fragments.
He silently left them, melting into the shadows. The only things that didn't hurt him. The only things that protected him.
"I don't know who I am anymore," he muttered softly to his reflection. "I'm getting darker than I was before, and I don't know why."
He peered into the surface of the lake, as if looking for some explanation. "Is it because I control darkness?"
He shook his head. "No. I championed the darkness a long time ago."
He looked up as the flares lit up the sky. The matches were about to start. He sighed and got up. He really didn't want to go through all this.
He smiled as he watched Naruto run around the stadium, blowing kisses to the crowd. Naruto had pulled off a stupendous win, managing to turn the tables on Hyuga Neji, with the help of the Kyuubi, of course.
He sighed and blew the bangs that were sticking to his forehead. There were still a few matches before his turn.
Hmm, he thought, looks like Uchiha Saauke isn't here yet. I wonder…
Suddenly, his head snapped up as he heard Kankarou say, "I'll forfeit my match too."
Wha-?
"Alright, then," he heard Temari say, "I guess it's my turn."
She took out that big fan of hers and waved it. Torrents of wind gusted out, and everyone raised their arms to cover their faces. She jumped onto her fan and slowly descended into the stdium.
I didn't expect this!
The crowd was getting uneasy and whispers started to break out, seeing as he wasn't making any effort to get down and fight.
"Come on, Shikamaru!" Naruto said, laying his hands on his shoulders. "They're waiting for you!"
"I didn't know I'd…you can't expect me to…" Shikamaru's stuttering efforts were in vain. With a final "Go!" Naruto pushed him, sending him toppling over the edge.
The moment he hit the ground, he could feel bits of litter hitting his face.
Damn Naruto! He thought, trying to ignore to rubbish pelting his face. After all, it didn't hurt so much as the fact that they were doing it.
She grinned. "Won't attack first, eh? Alright then," she took out her fan and, holding it over her head, dashed forward. "Then I will!"
She slammed it down, stirring up a huge dust cloud. The crowd gasped.
She smiled smugly. The dust settled and shock registered on her face to find out that he wasn't there.
"Oy! Have some respect. I'm, like, way up here."
He was standing on his kunai, which he had stuck in the wall.
She gritted her teeth and raised her fan again. He jumped away before she could clobber him.
Tch! He thought, leaning against the tree trunk. I really don't want to do this right now. If possible, I'd do the whole thing fast, just to save me the trouble.
"Hiding now, are you?" she called, resting the fan on her shoulder. "Typical. What else would you expect from a loser like you?"
He frowned, trying not to let her words get to him.
She swung her fan down, fanning the wind towards his hiding place in huge gusts.
He raised his arms protectively, but the force of the wind was so intense that it cut at the trees around him and at his skin.
Think, he told himself calmly. I can't attack her directly because the wind would just hurt me. And keeping distance would also be dangerous.
He placed all his fingers together, and immediately, the crowd quieted down.
Probably wondering what kind of seal I'm doing. He thought, a little amused. Almost everyone mistook that little habit of his as a special kind of seal. They were often disappointed when they found out that it was just to help him concentrate.
"If you're not going to do anything," she yelled loudly, "then you're just wasting my time!"
She opened up her fan and held it up, dashing forward in the process.
"Die!" she screamed, swinging it down, like a knife. Suddenly, she stopped short.
"The problem with you," he said calmly, waving his arm. She copied his action. He grinned. "you talk too much."
Of course! She thought, mentally kicking herself. I forgot about his shadow bind technique!
His smiled disappeared. He glared at her, reaching behind his back. She copied his action as well, a look of panic on her face.
At the same time, he scanned the audience out of the corner of his eye. Hinata was sitting in the back row, her face shining with a smile of awe and acknowledgement. She noticed him looking at her, and her smile widened. His heart nearly stopped, and he almost forgot what he was doing here.
Then, he heard them. The whispers.
"He's going to forfeit. He doesn't want to go through all the trouble of weakening her."…Asuma-sensei…
"Too bad. He's got so much talent. He's just wasting it on his laziness."…Kakashi- sensei…
"It's a shame he's lazy. He really needs to work on that."…Kurenai-sensei…
"I'm telling you, Ino. He's going to forfeit. He doesn't want to go through with the match anymore. Too exhausting. Too troublesome."…Chouji…
They thought they knew him. Why did they act like that? Why were they looking down on him? And…why was he so different? So darker? This wasn't him. This wasn't him.
An angry, hopeless scream flew from his throat, cutting off the noises coming from the audience. The silence was deafening. Too much.
Shikamaru snapped out of it. He felt like he had just woken up from a dream of sorts. Something caught his eye, and he looked up.
It was the body of some girl with blonde hair. She was covered in blood, and it looked like some bones were broke. He felt a little sorry for her. She must have felt a lot of pain.
He looked around. He was surrounded by people, and he had no idea why. They were so silent, so still. And they looked…shocked. Surprised. Scared.
Someone was running towards him.
Asuma-sensei…He reached him, and he looked confused. Like there was something that was disturbing him.
"Shikamaru, why?"
Why…what?The crowd was starting to stir again. Whispered conversation broke out. He couldn't shake off the heavy feeling of fear that was hanging in the atmosphere.
He looked up, searching for her. Her pale eyes were wide in shock, and she looked so…scared. Her eyes were screaming at him.
'You're not who I thought you were.'
Tears began to well up in his eyes.
'You didn't know me, then. You never did.'
Her eyes read it, and she turned away.
Why was she so scared?
For some reason, he glanced down at his hands…
…which were covered in blood.
He understood now. It all made sense.
I lost control…
He allowed the darkness to descend on him…
…while a piece of his soul tore away and went screaming down to his darkened hell.
After all, it's impossible to champion the darkness…
…without the darkness creeping in.
-End-
A/N: Sooooo sleeeeepyyyy……..
What did you think of that ending? I might make more ShikaHina fics though…
You never know…