Chapter 60

Clash of Clansmen: Shikamaru's Promise!

Sterile white walls surrounded Sasuke. Silence encircled him outwardly, yet internally a deafening war of frustration, insecurity and tormented sorrow raged on. Nearby, languid clicks of shogi pieces being set pierced the silence at odd, thoughtful intervals. Thin veils of fabric hung over an open window behind him, rustling now and then when the weak breeze caressed past.

But his eyes never left the motionless body of Amari. She looked like she was sleeping; her small frame lay hidden beneath a sterile white sheet that complimented this isolated sterile white room. Everything here was so absent of color, everything except the wild blue hair spread out beneath her and the amaryllis flowers set next to her bed.

Why?

The question pestered him endlessly. It played through his mind over and over and over and over again, left unanswered by the chaotic war he was torn between.

A week and a half had passed since the Akatsuki incident. A week and a half since his brother mercilessly took down Amari and Kakashi. Their conditions hadn't changed; no better and no worse since they suffered through the torture of Itachi's genjutsu.

The battle, if it could even be called that, replayed on the back of his eyelids every time he shut his eyes. He could see Amari seated on the floor, cheeks bloody and eyes covered by her bandana. He could feel the burning hatred coursing through his veins again, demanding to be let loose on the perpetrator of their suffering. He could hear his brother's chastising words.

Then his arm was breaking, and as he lay there defeated, he watched as his clan-sister hurt herself to break free of the wire.

Fresh crimson beads led twisting and turning trails like a winding river down her trembling hands, dropping onto the floor with audible plops. She was breathing so heavily, as if her lungs were constricted. Yet, even after her body caved, she kept pushing to stand on her weak and frail legs.

Why?

The strain to remain standing was visible in every quivering muscle. In her dulled and watery onyx eye he saw the fractured fortress walls his brother so cruelly demolished.

"You're still hanging onto my lies. Weren't you listening? Haya didn't have to kill anyone. Instead I unlocked the memories of her dearest cousin, and made her watch his death."

How many times? It was yet another unanswered question.

How many times had his vindictive brother forced her to witness the death of her cousin? How long had he tortured her with his final moments? Was it anything compared to what he had witnessed all those years ago?

To have unlocked the Mangekyō…the pain she would have endured emotionally… The thought made him clench a hand into a white knuckled fist while his face struggled to remain impassive.

Years ago, when his brother left him alive, he told him to unlock such a power he had to kill his best friend.

Another lie. He told me to embrace my hatred to become stronger than him, yet it was a lie. He told me he alone had killed our Clan to test his skills, yet it was a lie. He made me believe we were the only ones left, yet it was a lie.

Lie after lie after lie.

"That night I lied to you and made you believe you and I were the only Uchiha's left. And yet, after learning Haya is alive, you still hang onto every lie I fed you as if it were truth. Even when standing in the same presence as Aimi you don't recognize her because you still believe she is dead."

"Aimi… You…You're…"

"Alive?" she offered in amusement. "Haya could hardly believe it too, and yet here we are."

Everything his brother told him that night, everything he lived his life for, it was all just lies. Lies! And he ate them up like a naïve idiot!

"Hmph. Did you truly believe I would give you the keys on how to defeat me? Fester your hatred? Kill your best friend to unlock the Mangekyō Sharingan? My foolish little brother, why would I tell you the truth? Because we're brothers? Because we're blood? I had just finished killing our parents, and yet you think I couldn't lie to you?"

Why did his lies still hurt? Why did it gnaw at his heart that his brother lied to him? Why did he continue to hold onto those lies when Amari was right there in front of him? And Aimi…

Aimi, Sasuke growled internally, aggravated at himself, at her, at this entire situation. How could you join him in this madness?

He could remember Aimi from what now felt like a past life. She was one of the only girls his brother actually acknowledged beyond polite interactions. Itachi, Aimi and Shisui, they had been the closest of friends—family, really.

She had been so kind to him back then, but now…

"And you, Sasuke," the hiss of her voice and burning red eyes pierced his soul. "How the precious little brother of Itachi Uchiha has fallen. So arrogant. So self-centered."

Did she help kill Shisui to gain the Mangekyō Sharingan? Or was Itachi the only one responsible for his death?

Again he lacked an answer. But he knew one truth now: Shisui was Amari's cousin. First Itachi mentioned it then Kurenai confirmed he hadn't misheard his brother.

A week and a half did not make the revelation any less surprising to Sasuke. He could barely process it. Shisui was Amari's cousin this whole time? How had they never met? Shisui was around enough in that past life to be like another brother, and Itachi was in Amari's life before the massacre. Aimi, too.

Yet they never ran into each other. Not that Sasuke remembered, at least.

Shisui… Sasuke's fist fell open as his eyes remained glued to Amari. I remember…I remember three members of the Police Force asking Itachi about what happened to him. Itachi denied any knowledge of his death. But the night he killed everyone, Itachi told me he forged Shisui's suicide note and killed him to gain the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Guilt and anger overwhelmed Sasuke. His brother murdered Shisui for the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Amari's family was dead because of Itachi and Aimi diving into their insanity.

Would she hate him because of his brother's actions?

I wouldn't blame her if she did.

She had more than enough reason to despise him. Not only had his brother stolen her precious cousin from her, but he was utterly useless in protecting her. Because of his weakness and his idiocy Amari had to paint a target on herself to get his brother away from him, enduring whatever further mental torture he unleashed on her through the Tsukuyomi.

The tears cascading down her blood stained cheeks flashed through his mind. He scowled at the memory.

All of this brought him back to his main question: Why?

Why am I so incapable of protecting anyone I care for? Why did she have to sacrifice herself and go through even more pain for me! He clenched his hand into a fist as his body began to shake. I would have taken it; she didn't have to be stubborn and protect me.

"And what are you going to do about it? Your head-on attack failed, Sasuke. Did you really think that I would just stand here and let you kill me? Chidori is a powerful tool, but it is one you used carelessly. Now look at you. You cannot even form the handseals to use it."

Those words stirred a festering hatred within his heart as his eyes glanced to his repaired arm. He hadn't even been able to land a single blow on him. What was the point of all of his training if he was still so far beneath his brother?

Was this all he was capable of?

The mark on his neck began to itch in response to his emotions. Perhaps forsaking his hatred had been a mistake. Had he lost sight of his goal because of these connections that only served him more pain? Amari had unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan already, yet he—a full-blooded Uchiha—had not.

She just keeps growing stronger and stronger while I get left behind in the dust.

As if Amari's spirit could hear him, he felt an invisible hand rest over his heart. "Real strength comes from here. Yo- you have to find it in yourself and let it ru- run free. You can do it. You're a- an Uchiha and a member of Team Seven, after all. That makes you family."

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut. The war was growing in intensity. He could feel the constrictor around his heart tightening, the itch of the mark whispering its enticing promises of power he so obviously lacked.

The struggle was almost physically debilitating.

I…I don't know what to do!

Everything he had done up to this point was to kill his brother and avenge his Clan. He lived by his brother's lies, and yet despite truths being given to him, he just wanted to turn away from them and go back to the easy lies he followed for so long.

To hell with the truth! To hell with everything! Itachi was still responsible for the death of their parents. His path was that of an avenger, wasn't it? What point was there to playing at being a shinobi when there was real power out there to be claimed?

All he had to do was let go and he could gain the power he needed.

Simultaneously, the scarred, warm hand that saved him kept snatching his wrist every time he tried to turn away.

Could he really just abandon her? All for what? Broken pride? Harsh truths he was afraid to confront alone?

"Look at Amaririsu. Really look at the state she is in." His eyes returned to his teammate. "That is the reality we face as shinobi. Friends, comrades and family sacrificing their lives for the people they care for most.

"She risked her life to fight a losing battle all to save her precious people. Whether you like it or not, that is the reality you face. Yet you two would dishonor that sacrifice by recklessly throwing yourselves at the very people she protected you from. One of you in some sort of foolish sense of bravery to make up for your past fears. The other in a self-centered attempt at redemption.

"Amaririsu, for all her foolishness, knew exactly what she was sacrificing. And she did it for an honorable cause. Vengeance is not that cause. You would do well to remember that."

The tugging of forces within his heart continued to pull him in every single direction. Sasuke could feel the threads of his stability starting to be pulled apart at this insanity he had to deal with.

What the hell do I do!

Shikamaru sat back and gazed at the battlefield of shogi in front of him. Last time he and 'Risu played, she did well in their duel of tactics. Still, he won, which honestly surprised the Nara boy at the time; he was certain she could have turned the game around and won based on the positions of their final pieces.

So, he set the board up to reenact their last game, only this time he was going to play to win from 'Risu's side of the battle. It took a while, but he was within the final moves of the game.

The closer he looked at the board, the more her final choices became obvious.

All of her other options were limited. In her eyes, she could see me out maneuvering her through every other move she had. It was either take a leap of faith and possibly win, or lose. He snorted in slight amusement. Taking a risk for a chance at victory sounds like 'Risu all right.

Sighing, Shikamaru glanced up from the game to look at his unconscious cousin. You always have to push yourself too far, troublesome girl.

Since Asuma and Genma showed up on their doorstep to tell his dad the news, Shikamaru spent the following days piecing together the entire incident from start to finish. Sometimes he sat in on conversations held with his mom and dad. Other times he went out of his way to ask those involved for details—specifically Mimi and Asuma.

This wasn't for some stupid plan of revenge. 'Risu wasn't able to defeat those S-rank shinobi, which meant he had about the same chance of doing anything significant right now as he did beating his dad in a game of shogi.

But he was too weak now. Later he could be stronger. Later he could be ready.

Eventually these guys would attack again, he learned that much. It'd be troublesome, no doubt about it, but the best way to prepare for that future encounter was learning every detail of the battle and their skills, that way he had time to think of counters and get a better idea of what kind of strength he needed to gain in the coming years.

What he learned was unsettling, to say the least. These guys were Orochimaru level of trouble, and his 'Risu somehow managed to damage one of them. But it came at a cost. Not just this state of unconsciousness, either.

Black chakra. Curse of Hatred. Space-time fūinjutsu. Mangekyō Sharingan. Those four points stuck out the most to Shikamaru, mostly because they had to do with his cousin's mental and emotional well-being.

For her chakra to change color, for Kurenai to feel the difference between 'Risu and the person her hatred turned her into troubled him. He knew his 'Risu had a temper. Rarely did it appear—she was usually a docile deer.

But Shikamaru hadn't forgotten the kind of darkness Neji's attempt to kill Hinata brought out of 'Risu. He remembered Zaku's cries for mercy, and her lack of it.

Still, there were two silver linings here. First and foremost, 'Risu was alive. The trauma she experienced was terrible, obviously, but she had a heartbeat. She was still breathing. That meant she'd come out of this.

Of course she wouldn't be the same, not on the inside at least. She'd be troublesome and pretend nothing was wrong, like she just didn't go through torture or regain and lose a loving family member. But this recent fight and the memories she regained would engrave a deep and jagged scar onto her heart.

She'll take the pain and move forward. It's just what she does.

Shikamaru frowned slightly. He sensed his own hesitation in the reassurance, felt the lingering doubt beneath the confident façade.

Whether it was the Land of Waves, the fight against the Sound ninjas, Hisashi's poison or her battle against Gaara, Shikamaru always knew she'd bounce back. It was his 'Risu's way…yet this felt different.

Was this pain something she could overcome as she had countless times before?

Much like his next move on the shogi board, the repercussions of this incident were unknown. It was possible he'd find a crack in his old defenses and claim victory just as he believed 'Risu could have. But it was also possible each move he tried would lead to inevitable defeat.

Similarly, this pain was heavily tied to her past life and the bond she shared with Shisui. Witnessing his death, spending time with him in the space-time fūinjutsu before losing him, the memories she now possessed, they were all variables in this equation with unknown side effects.

'Risu's a tough girl, she'll get through it. And I'll be here whenever she needs me.

That brought the Nara to the second silver lining: Naruto was out there somewhere with Master Jiraiya in search of Tsunade of the Sannin. If anyone could heal Kakashi and 'Risu, it was her.

There was no telling how long it'd take for them to find her. Could be they showed up tomorrow. Could be another few weeks. Still, Shikamaru believed the knucklehead would bring her back.

Team Seven's hyperactive ninja was called many things; an annoyance, an idiot, the dead last, irritatingly loud, and a troublemaker to name a few. Each had some semblance of truth to them, he supposed. Yet there was one thing that Naruto was that all of those titles couldn't take away from him.

Naruto was a man of his word. If he promised to do something, he damn well went through with it regardless of how impossible it seemed to others.

Shikamaru knew without a shadow of a doubt in his mind that he would succeed. Sooner rather than later he would march back into the village with the kunoichi member of the Sannin in tow so she could heal 'Risu and Kakashi.

Sure the kid was extremely troublesome, and he honestly had way too much energy for Shikamaru to deal with. But he was someone they could trust to aid 'Risu.

No doubt the knucklehead was training in some capacity to ensure he never "failed" Amari again.

I hope Naruto doesn't do something too idiotic to become stronger. He sighed. That's probably too much to ask of that knucklehead. Hopefully he isn't brooding like Sasuke.

Glancing up from the shogi board, Shikamaru examined the other occupant of the room—Sasuke. He wore the same sullen features he'd been wearing for the last week and a half.

What were the odds they scheduled their days to visit at the same time? How troublesome.

'Risu wouldn't want anyone thinking they failed her. Unfortunately, her teammates all felt that in some way, and they weren't alone. Kurenai, Mimi, Kakashi, Asuma, Atsuko all obviously felt they failed her. Hell, even his dad and mom felt that way despite having no clue there was even a battle at the time.

They all wanted to be there. They all wanted to somehow go back and stop it from happening. But they couldn't. The only option was to move forward, shouldering the pain in their hearts and using it to become stronger; that's how 'Risu got strong, after all.

Sakura came by often to replace the wilted amaryllis flowers with the fresh ones she'd been purchasing since 'Risu was checked in the hospital. Depending on the day she'd stick around to sit with her teammate for a little while or would leave to train or work.

But Shikamaru saw the biting guilt in her emerald eyes. Out of all the members of Team Seven, she alone didn't reach the battlefield until after it was all over. It couldn't feel good. So, since his cousin wasn't around to do it, he offered a little nudge to keep her on the right track.

"I get how you feel, Sakura. I do. But 'Risu wouldn't want you sitting around worrying so much when you could be training. We can't change what happened, and she wouldn't want us to. It's up to us to get stronger for the next encounter. That's how we make it up to her."

"…Yeah. You're right."

She didn't seem as mopey lately. Apparently, after his little pep talk, she and Ino began training together again, and from Ino's disheveled appearance it seemed Sakura was pushing them both hard.

Shikamaru didn't bother to hide his amusement from his teammate. "Sheesh, Ino. You look like you were hit by a tornado and a tsunami at the same time."

Ino's response might have been witty. It might have even been biting. But all it sounded to Shikamaru's ears was incoherent mumbles.

"Well, seems Sakura took my words to heart. My work here is done."

"Yo- you?!"

The out of breath accusation and look of betrayal kept a smirk on his face and left Chōji snickering.

"Yep. Me. Come on, Chōji. We've got training to do ourselves. Can't let Ino out work us. Asuma-sensei and our parents would never let us hear the end of it."

"Right behind you, Shikamaru!" his best friend laughed.

"Shika- Shikamaru! I'll ge- get you back for this!"

"I doubt it. Later, Ino," he lifted a hand up as he strolled out of her home. "Make sure you take a shower. Oh, and stick to 'Risu's meal plan. That's the only way you'll ever surpass her."

Ino groaned in defeat.

"Bye, Ino!" Chōji bid farewell, his laughter at their teammate's response barely contained.

It was nice to know he wasn't the only one training so hard.

That left Sasuke, the most troublesome one of the pair. Sakura, at least, wasn't as hard-headed anymore. 'Risu's guidance changed her. She changed Ino, too; hell, she changed a lot of their peers, whether as a personal task or through her actions.

Sasuke wasn't exempt from the change, Shikamaru knew that. The Forest of Death was a sort of awakening for all of Team Seven. The rest of the Exam and Invasion only solidified it.

However, this latest incident was bound to leave Sasuke off kilter, especially when the person responsible for his change of attitude fell in combat. He didn't have a solid foundation. Not like 'Risu did. And the fact his brother was involved in 'Risu's fall—responsible for it, he should say—well, Shikamaru didn't envy his position.

In the week and a half, not a single syllable was spoken between them. Short nods to acknowledge their presence was all they managed, and then they'd sit or stand in here in utter silence.

Uncomfortable, in other words.

The palpable tension built around Sasuke made the room eerily quiet at times. His shinobi senses perked up at times; danger, or the feeling of it. Sometimes the Nara even felt like he was being watched by the walls. Like there was someone else in here with them.

Maybe there was. He'd seen the look in his father's eyes. Intense was a good start to describe it; beyond that was the shinobi behind the man, the shinobi who already lost too much and refused to lose his niece again.

Seeing that in his father's eyes, it was sort of freaky. At home, his dad was, well, he was his dad. Laid back, caring, busy some days, thoughtful, but never battle-hardened. Never the shinobi. Never the man willing to kill to protect his loved ones.

So, in all likelihood, they weren't alone. In all likelihood there was an Anbu agent, or several, lurking in the shadows, watching, waiting for some idiot to make a move. Even more likely were the Crows of the Leaf hovering nearby.

Probably the reason the window is always open.

Shikamaru pitied any idiot who tried to make a move on 'Risu now. They'd be dead before they could scream.

Anyway, Shikamaru had done his best to ignore the tension in Sasuke. Saying something in this situation would lead to trouble, he could feel it.

The Nara boy reached forward, picked up a shogi piece and moved it. The click may as well have been a gong in this silent room.

Still, troublesome as it might be, Shikamaru considered speaking up. He could see the guilt, the frustration and the terrible war raging on within the Uchiha's eyes. That war left him in desperate straits.

For someone like Sasuke, whose world just got turned upside down yet again, having no one to reach out to him, to push, pull or shove him back in the right direction could be dangerous.

I know you did what you thought was best, but you're their balancing point, 'Risu. They're struggling to stay on their feet and they don't have you there to help them.

The Shadow user sighed internally. Guess that means I have to ensure Sasuke doesn't do something incredibly stupid. Troublesome girl, why did you have to leave me all of this work?

"She wouldn't want you tearing yourself apart over this, Sasuke," Shikamaru stated flatly while his eyes watched the motionless shogi board.

There were few moves in his arsenal. He could be flexible here, but regardless of his flexibility and the number of moves he wielded, there'd only be one set that led to victory. 'Risu had thought long and hard in their last game.

What did she miss? Or what opportunity did she pass on?

"Don't you have a game to be playing, Shikamaru?" Sasuke replied.

That was an effective way to tell him to mind his own damn business. Shikamaru refused to be so easily discouraged from his goal, even if it was a drag.

He snorted. "Don't you think wrestling with yourself over something you had no power over is kind of pointless?" An effective counter, he thought. The agitated growl proved his blow landed.

An opportunity was at his feet now to get his point through Sasuke's thick skull before aggression took hold.

"'Risu made the choice she believed was best. Yeah, it's painful to see her down and out like this, but beating yourself up about doesn't help anyone. It's not something she'd want you to do."

And it was painful to see her in this state. Stuck in a sterile white room, lying in a bed with a white sheet pulled up to her neck; this was not the 'Risu he liked to see. He preferred the 'Risu who was nose deep in a book studying, or the workaholic training until she collapsed. Or the one simply lying in the grass with him, doing absolutely nothing for a change.

Those versions reflected his 'Risu best.

Luckily one of the nurses or Kurenai-sensei brushed through her hair. The boy smirked inwardly. She'd call it troublesome to wake up with knotted hair.

It took one time of seeing her struggle with knots to become grateful for his straight hair. Taking care of a thick mane like 'Risu's or Mimi's would just be a drag.

He was broken from his inner musings by Sasuke's frustrated voice. "So I'm just supposed to pretend like it doesn't matter that she sacrificed herself to protect me from my brother?"

The tension in the room rose in equal measure with the Uchiha's voice.

"You want me to act like everything is fine when I failed to do anything to stop him from taking away someone else I care about?"

Shikamaru raised his eyes from the shogi board, only because he felt a hole searing into his temple. Sure enough, fury filled onyx eyes bored down on him.

Sheesh, being responsible and levelheaded was such a pain.

In those dark eyes he saw the colliding emotions of hurricane storm proportions. He could see the torn look in Sasuke's eyes and the beginnings of rage based trembles attacking his body.

Curse of Hatred, huh?

Shikamaru could see it clearly now, the hatred his father, mother and Kurenai spoke about in regards to 'Risu.

"When Itachi awakened the memories of Shisui, Amari was consumed by grief and debilitating pain. She was screaming in agony; it sounded as if she were afflicted with the poison Hisashi used on her."

Kurenai held her glass of tea tightly in her hands. Her red eyes stared despondently into the liquid.

"Before she could lose consciousness, I sensed a sudden spike in her chakra. And then grief and pain became hatred. It changed her, inside and out." The haunting voice she spoke with revealed it hadn't only changed 'Risu.

"Her chakra, you mean," his dad asked, gentle but still in search of answers.

Kurenai nodded once. "Yes. Her green shroud took form around her, but the color shifted to black. It swirled and lashed around her with a life of its own. I- I could feel the essence of Amari slip away, replaced by a person without light. Without love. Only hatred, anguish, suffering.

"Her killing intent flooded the entire battlefield. She didn't even know we were there anymore. That demonic chakra…I still can't believe it came from Amari."

"Asuma said that's when the fūinjutsu seal activated and encapsulated all of you within a separate space-time."

"A…separate space-time?" Shikamaru couldn't stop the question from escaping him.

"Yes," his father nodded. "'Risu's mother worked directly with the Fourth Hokage, who is renowned for his fūinjutsu expertise. And it seems she learned how to create a seal that, for a temporary period of time, can suspend an individual in a separate space-time."

His dad looked over to him. "Not only that, she was able to seal the chakra of 'Risu's cousin and her adopted son into this fūinjutsu, allowing him to spend time with 'Risu one last time before inevitably fading away."

Shikamaru's eyebrows rose. "That's crazy."

Somehow, his father found it in him to snort. "No, that's 'Yako in her truest form. And that's the level of skill and intelligence 'Risu inherited." He exhaled deeply through his nose. "A lot of love and pain went into that Seal. 'Yako was suffering more than I ever realized in those final days."

Yoshino rested a hand on top of Shikaku's. She spoke up in a soft voice. "Amaririsu…this darkness you felt in her, did it fully recede? Was Shisui able to bring Amaririsu back to her senses?"

"Yes," Kurenai nodded. Yoshino sighed in relief. "He explained the source, too. The Uchiha's strong emotions are their gift and their curse. In that moment, when Amari lost herself, she was consumed by the Curse of Hatred."

"Curse of Hatred?" Shikamaru questioned.

"That's what Shisui called it. 'It devours the joy and love and warm colors of life around you, and then all you see is the single-minded goal you set yourself on. Damn whatever the consequences are. Doesn't matter who gets hurt or sacrificed along the way.

"'And deep down, deep in a part of yourself you didn't even know you had, it feels good to let it loose. It almost feels like righteous retribution for all the past pain you've experienced.' That's how he explained the feelings to Amari, and she agreed."

Shikamaru couldn't even imagine how that felt.

"But it's not a real curse," Kurenai added. "It's an ideal those of Uchiha blood are susceptible to. 'If the Will of Fire is a physical fire, the Curse of Hatred is the darkness cast by its shadow,' is how Shisui explained it. It encourages selfishness, isolationism, conceited arrogance and hatred."

"Hm. The exact opposite of what the Will of Fire teaches us," his father noted. "We're fortunate Shisui and 'Risu's parents had the foresight to execute the perfect counter to the Curse of Hatred overwhelming 'Risu. Shisui was an excellent and wise shinobi and man; he took after his adopted father in that respect. More importantly, he was 'Risu's hero."

A pained smile formed on Kurenai's lips. "To Shisui, being her hero was his greatest accomplishment."

Shisui sounded like a pretty cool guy. Still, who knew listening in on those conversations was going to be so helpful?

Shikamaru kept his face blank, but his mind finished the puzzle it had been working on.

You're battling the Curse of Hatred right now, aren't you? If someone like 'Risu is susceptible to it in a moment of intense grief, you're probably fighting for your life right now. Definitely with that mark on your neck.

This whole situation just got seriously troublesome.

He glanced to his cousin. 'Risu's influence helped him to hold the ideals of the Will of Fire closer to his heart. But with her taken down by his brother, the shadow of the Curse of Hatred must be growing.

The Nara realigned his eyes with the furious boy. But which one will win out? I don't know if opening my mouth is going to make it better or worse. I don't have a strong bond with Sasuke, not like 'Risu's bond with him or her bond with Shisui.

All he happened to be was an outsider related to 'Risu. He hadn't been there to fight. He didn't know how it felt to battle with the intense emotions Sasuke currently fought against.

I can't just sit here though. I already opened my mouth and I'm not going to let Sasuke fall into this Curse and leave behind his feelings for his team. Shikamaru let out a sigh. This motivation of mine is your fault, 'Risu. Troublesome girl.

"I didn't say that," he responded calmly to Sasuke's previous rhetorical questions. "All I was saying is that moping around isn't what 'Risu would want you to do. It's not why she made her sacrifice."

"Then why!" Sasuke's voice had lost its usual cool demeanor and was replaced by frustrated confusion. "Why did she do it? Itachi would have left her alone if she would have just stayed out of it!"

To witness Sasuke's lack of control over his emotions as everything was bubbling right out of him, it caught Shikamaru off guard at first. The Sasuke he knew was a cool customer. Didn't let the slightest thing break his cool, and once cold, exterior.

However, the Nara couldn't blame him for how he felt or his questions. If the roles were reversed he'd probably feel the same way.

"It's because she cares about us, and honestly it's just the way 'Risu is. You know that. She nearly got herself killed for a stranger, and then fought that Gaara guy to protect someone she barely knew. For someone precious to her, 'Risu would suffer any pain or would sacrifice herself in our place, because that's just who she is."

He hated voicing that fact out loud.

"I get how you fee—"

"You have no idea how I feel!" Sasuke interrupted him with a shout. The tickle of danger on his shinobi senses kept the Nara on high alert and his Shadow Possession at the ready. "Have you ever come home to find your mother and father dead with someone you cared for standing over them?"

"Liste—"

"No, you haven't! You've never had the bonds you share with your family severed by someone you loved. I know what Amari and Kakashi suffered through; Itachi used the same genjutsu on me that day! Imagine being forced to stand and watch every single person you loved fall before your eyes and being unable to do anything! Closing your eyes does nothing. You still see it playing out in front of you!"

…what the hell did he put you through, 'Risu?

He already knew what she was put through was bad, but that was…that was something else entirely.

Being forced to watch his family and Clan killed over and over again? No wonder he hates his brother so much.

"I wasn't saying I know what it feels like to go through that. I was talking about how you feel about 'Risu throwing herself in front of everything for others," he tried to cool the boy down.

"You don't understand in the slightest," Sasuke hissed. "You don't know how it feels to watch helplessly as someone you care for is struck down in front of you."

The Uchiha boy clenched his hands into fists, his hatred surging into his eyes again. "The only way you could ever understand how I feel is if I struck Amari down right now."

Protective instinct kicked in at the threat. Heated intensity sharpened the Nara's features.

So, this was how his dad felt.

"You even flinch aggressively towards 'Risu and I'll make you regret it," he warned

Hostile silence fell between them, neither budging an inch.

"This is a real drag, but I'm done trying to ease my way through your thickhead," Shikamaru finally spoke.

Sasuke snarled at his words.

"I know deep down you understand why 'Risu acted the way she did that day, but I'll spell it out for you because your emotions are making you irrational. It's because she knows exactly how you feel right now."

"No—"

"What? Watching helplessly as Kasai killed Ryu doesn't count? It isn't enough? How about what your brother just did to her? Awakening the memories of her cousin Shisui, forcing her to witness his death Kami knows how many times isn't close to your pain?"

Shikamaru remained as calm as he could, but there was no way he was backing down now. Sasuke was emotional, for good reason, but no one threatened his 'Risu's life.

No one.

Shikamaru blew aggressive air out his nostrils. "Listen to you. You think you're the only one who knows suffering?" he questioned the boy heatedly. "Open your eyes Sasuke and look at the people you know. Mimi has suffered the loss of her parents. That Hikari girl suffered the scorn of her Village. Naruto, Gaara, Neji and Hinata have all suffered because of others."

His voice began to rise with hot emotions he couldn't recall feeling in a long time.

"My father and mother lost 'Risu and her family once already. They grieved them, and then she came back to us after years. She's our family, and then we learn she's been whisked away by the Akatsuki. Unless she was saved—which we're lucky she was—she would be dead!

"And you want to play the role as the only person who is suffering right now? You want to threaten 'Risu's life, for what? So you can be the last Uchiha? So you can turn those lies your brother told you into the truth? Wake the hell up, Sasuke. This isn't just about you anymore."

Something about his words flickered a light on in Sasuke's brain, he could tell. But Shikamaru kept going.

"You're not the only one who's torturing yourself over not being able to protect 'Risu. You're not the only one who couldn't be there for her. You're not the only one who she sacrificed herself to protect. You're not the only Uchiha. And you're certainly not the only one who understands suffering."

"Tch," Sasuke hissed out a breath. "You weren't there, Shikamaru."

"Exactly." This idiot was playing into his hands perfectly. "I wasn't there. I was at home, playing shogi with my father and about to train when Asuma-sensei showed up to tell us 'Risu was captured by Itachi. You know what my father, mother and I felt? Helpless."

Sasuke shook his head. "It's not the same. You two didn't have a chance to help her like I did."

The Nara snorted. "What about Kurenai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei and Asuma-sensei? All three of them had to stand and watch as 'Risu was taken from their grasps. Sound familiar?" he asked pointedly.

Having the words of his threat tossed back at him made his verbal jousting partner tense up.

"What's your point, Shikamaru?"

"You don't think Kurenai-sensei is tormenting herself over her inability to protect her daughter? She's been wearing 'Risu's forehead protector everywhere she goes."

Everywhere. Even when she wasn't in shinobi gear, she wore it.

"What do you think Kakashi-sensei is going to be like when he wakes up? The last image of 'Risu he had was her unconscious body being swept away as he could do absolutely nothing to stop them."

The Uchiha grit his teeth and clenched his hands into fist. "I know that."

"Do you?"

"Yes!" Shikamaru's body and face remained alert as Sasuke's agony and anger made its way back into his voice. "Do you think I enjoy seeing the pain in Kurenai-sensei's or Sakura's eyes every time I see them in the street or in the halls of this hospital?"

He swiped his arm through the air making the Nara tense up in preparation to strike. "How am I supposed to face them or Amari when I had the chance to stop my brother from harming her and I completely screwed it up?"

For a second Shikamaru believed he saw the glistening of tears forming in the Uchiha's eyes, but he dismissed it with a sigh. It was time to take a step back, breathe and refocus his efforts on finishing this argument in success instead of failure.

"They don't blame you, Sasuke, and neither do I for whatever that's worth. There was nothing you, Naruto, or Sakura could have done for her even as a team. Three Jōnin didn't stand a chance; three Genin wouldn't have better odds."

"Are you saying I'm supposed to just accept that I can't protect anyone?"

"No." Shikamaru shook his head and turned his eyes to his downed cousin. "I'm saying you did everything you could to save 'Risu, that's all she would have wanted from you guys. But 'Risu is…she's a stubborn and troublesome girl.

"Given the choice between watching one of you fall or taking the brunt of an attack herself, she'll sacrifice herself every time. That's just who she is. It's her way, and none of us can change that."

No matter how much he wished he could.

"But 'Risu wouldn't want any of us feeling sorry for ourselves. She'd want you out there," he dipped his head to the window, "training your hardest to become stronger. It's all we can do. We aren't strong enough now to change a battle against those guys. But we can become strong enough in time."

The tense air began to dissipate.

"You were right, though" Shikamaru continued. "I don't know what it's like to have bonds torn from me or to witness the death of family members. I've gotten through life pretty unscathed so far, unlike the two of you. But watching her get hurt tears me apart inside."

Because there was rarely anything he could do to stop it. He just wasn't strong enough yet to fight on her level.

Shikamaru let out another sigh. "I'm sure this is all part of some elaborate plan to get me motivated to train. Troublesome girl would go that far."

Sasuke released breathy chuckle. "Heh. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't go this far to get you to train, Shikamaru. She'd just tell Asuma-sensei or your mother you're being lazy."

"She's already done that and it works every time. 'Risu can be such a pain sometimes."

With the tempers subsiding, Shikamaru retracted his Shadow from under the bed, once more returning his eyes to the shogi board.

"'Risu won't blame you for anything, Sasuke. But she will need you as support." Just as she would need everyone she considered family to support her through the loss of Shisui. "If nothing else I said means anything to you then remember that you're as much of a brother to her as she is a sister to you."

"…yeah."

His words seemed to settle the internal struggle within. The previous hate and pain subsided into the shadows, screeching and hollering at the Uchiha who ignored them.

Sasuke stuffed his hands into his pockets and began to move towards the door.

"I'll see you around, Shikamaru."

"See you. Oh, and Sasuke?" The Uchiha stopped at the edge of the bed and met the intense eyes of the Nara. "If you ever threaten 'Risu's life again or turn your back on her bond, I will make you regret it. You get me?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah."

"Good."

With no other words spoken, Sasuke shuffled out of the room.

About ten minutes later Shikamaru moved his final piece and smirked down at the board.

Checkmate.

His 'Risu would be okay, he was certain of it.

Review Response to ChillinInKonoha: There will probably be more mention of their Uzumaki relation; they sort of missed the opportunity to actually have it brought up with Naruto around. As for making Kushina blood related, like a sibling or distant aunt or something, I doubt I'll do that, but I'll have to think more about it. On one hand it'd give Naruto a family, which is interesting, but on the other I don't know if I'd like that. I'm not sure yet.

We'll have to wait and see for what happens with Anko.

To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of any member of the Sound Four. I thought the battles were interesting, emotionally and tactically. And their strength was obviously impressive, considering it took pretty much everyone sacrificing themselves to take them down or for the Sand shinobi's to save them at the last moment. I liked Kimimaro the most out of Part 1 Sound shinobi. Guren was my favorite in Part 2. I have some interesting twists for that arc, so I can't really say much without spoiling anything, but keeping Tayuya alive to play a love triangle role between her, Temari and Shikamaru isn't really likely. It would be funny, considering the rough personalities they have and the fact Shikamaru would be stuck dealing with it after giving his dad so much flak for being tied to his mom's apron strings. But I wouldn't bet on that happening. It'll make sense why later.

Who gets trained by who will be answered in time. As we continue forward from the Uchiha Reunion arc, canon begins to change. That's all I can say.

I do plan to do some of the movies, though I haven't seen them all yet so there may be ones I don't do. Land of Snow and Road to Ninja, however, are definitely happening.

Thank you for the review!