Disclaimer: I do not own Shikamaru or anything Naruto related (though I wish I did). The mystery nin however is my own creation, so I do own her.

Please have fun reading SFS and leave a comment or two for me. I love hearing from fellow writers and avid readers. This particular fic has been in progress for about a year or so. I had it on AFF until AFF went all screwy on me and decided to delete my entire account. I had 17 chapters up too! But over the last few months, I've been tweaking the old story until I found it good enough to post on This is my pride and joy, so please enjoy!

Chapter 1: Fool Fight

"Shikamaru! Behind you!" screamed Kiba as a sea of kunai went flying at Shikamaru. Shikamaru had just enough time to escape the deadly points of the weapons.

"There are a lot of enemies in the trees, but we've got 'em right Akamaru!" Akamaru barked in agreement as Kiba threw him a food pill, then ate one himself. Akamaru's fur turned bright red and stood on end. Kiba's fangs grew as he launched himself into the trees along with his canine companion. A few seconds later, screams of grown men echoed through the forest.

"Looks like he got them," Shikamaru said as he continued to form a strategy against their targeted betrayers. As he sat on a hidden branch in the forest canopy in his patented thinking position, a strange, low buzz hummed through the trees. Shikamaru opened one eye to scope the area around him. As soon as he did so, the noise stopped. He closed his eyes again, and the buzz came back. Again he opened his right eye, the noise dissipated. He slowly closed his eye again, and the buzz became louder and louder. Before he knew it, the things or creatures that were making the buzzing were right near him. He opened both his eyes and he found himself in a huge sea of flying insects. He opened his mouth to scream but had several of the winged bugs flying into his mouth, knocking him down from his hiding spot.

"DAMNIT SHINO! YOUR DAMN BUGS GOT INTO MY MOUTH AND RUINED MY CONCENTRATION!" shouted Shikamaru when he got out of the bushes he landed in and between spitting out bug parts.

"Sorry about that," Shino apologized as he directed his bugs towards the trees. "They smell the female I planted on the leader of the group. They go straight towards it".

"Wait, if that's true and they had to get through me to get to the leader, that means the leader is," he turned around in time to see a large, muscular ninja lunging towards him. Shikamaru had just enough time to leap out of the way and up into the trees to conceal himself once again.

"Come back out and play little ninja. I want to show you my toy," the leader teased as he pulled out a large katana from a sheath on his back.

"Sorry, but he can't come out and play, but my bugs would like to play with you," answered Shino as bugs emerged from his sleeves, and pant legs. The bugs swarmed at the leader and began to eat away at him. The leader screamed bloody murder as the bugs burrowed deeper into his flesh. At that moment, the leader's second-in-command came flying out of the trees behind Shino and kicked the bug master in the head, temporarily knocking him unconscious.

"Alright, no more play time, kiddies! Time for some real fighting!"

"I was hoping someone would say that!" growled Kiba, who lunged at him from behind and began to slash at the enemy's body with his sharp, lethal claws. Akamaru also came out of hiding, biting at the ninja's leg. Suddenly, the ninja turned into a log of wood, leaving a bad taste in Akamaru's mouth. "What the! Where did he go?" shouted Kiba as he sniffed at the air to find him.

"They'll never find me in time before I burn them alive with my fireball jutsu," the dangerous wanted ninja whispered to himself. "Let me end this now". He eyed the dog ninja and the bug user slowly rising to his feet. Chuckling maniacally, he started his hand seals. Just before he could send his devastating jutsu barreling toward the unknowing shinobis below, his body froze. "What, what's going on? My body, I can't move it!"

"That's what happens when you don't watch out for the rest of the team your against," Shikamaru said as he jumped down from above his target. "You see, while Kiba kept you busy, I positioned myself to grab you with my shadow imitation jutsu. NOW SHINO! KIBA!" With those words, the other two ninjas launched themselves at their enemy. Shikamaru let go of his hold just in time to avoid feeling the pain along with the target. By the end, they captured the whole team and loaded them up to bring back to Konoha to face trial for treason, murder, and a number of other crimes.

"Well that was a work out, right Akamaru?" Kiba said.

"It was more troublesome than anything else. These cretins weren't worth my time," Shikamaru complained.

"And I'm sure you had somewhere else to be more important than on a mission for the Hokage," Shino shot at him. To Shikamaru, the missions just weren't worth it anymore. As much joy and excitement they used to be, they weren't worth it if he didn't have anyone to share his tales with while playing a game of Go.

"Lay off him, Shino. Remember, this is Shikamaru you're talking about here. Konoha's number 1 lazy ninja who forces himself off his ass to help his friends," Kiba teased and complimented somehow in the same sentence. He knew something was different about his team leader. Shika wasn't showing the slight sense of accomplishment or joy when he finished his missions anymore like he used to. Something was wrong, but he wasn't sure what.

"Hey guys, you know what I just realized?" Shino and Shikamaru turned towards Kiba with puzzled faces (well, at least Shikamaru)."Today is the reunion of all of us at the Konoha sake bar!" With those words, Shikamaru perked up a bit. "Let's hurry and drop these fools off then go meet up with everyone else. The three hastened towards home in good spirits with their load floating behind them riding on Shino's bug troop. Suddenly, Akamaru stopped and sniffed the air. He let out a bark, and bounded towards a group of bushes a few meters away.

"What's wrong, Akamaru? Smell something boy?" asked Kiba as he ran off towards his partner. Akamaru sniffed again at the bushes and began to growl and bare his teeth. Kiba pulled out a shuriken, and slowly parted the bushes with his free hand. The other two stood back, kunai in hand and ready to fly. Kiba signaled with his a wink and let out a battle roar as he got ready to throw his shuriken with deadly accuracy at whomever or whatever was hiding in the bush. Then, as his arm was wound all the way back, he was practically blinded by the lightning speed of a nest full of birds that came flying out of their cozy nests in the bush.

"Hahahahaha! That was great Mr. All-Powerful Hunter! Hahahahaha!" Shikamaru laughed as Shino calmly put away his kunai and walked back to the prisoners, directing his bugs to keep going.

"Shut up. C'mon Akamaru," ordered Kiba. Akamaru huffed as he walked beside his owner. As the members of the dog clan caught up with their team mates, a few pairs of eyes watched every step they took.