Summery: Five years since the attack on Konoha, two geniuses who don't see eye to eye are captured by the Rain during a routine surveillance mission. Without the use of jitsus will Neji and Shikamaru be able to rely on each other for survival? Eventual NejiShika

To find the link to the Rain Nin Character Art: Check out my profile page. Their costumes are a bit to elaborate for me to literate without being confusing (smiles in embarrassment.)

This Naruto fic is in its pure unbeta'ed form. Special thanks to Faraway4today for helping me with the story and getting into the 'mode' of Shika and Neji's characters. I send you lots of strawberry marshmallows of happiness!

On that note, flames will be thrown in the fire to toast my marshmallows, then deleted. So don't bother.

Ch. 4 Interrogations: Part Two

Once the door closed behind Shikamaru, his senses were plunged into total darkness. He had little time to adjust his eyes when Kubashi roughly shoved him forward. Shikamaru staggered and stubbed his toe against a stone step. His eyes finally adjusting to the darkness, he looked up to see that he was at the bottom of a long flight of stone stairs. Near the top of the stairs where it was lighter, Shikamaru could make out the silhouette of another Rain nin.

"Ah, Gizan-san." Kubashi poked his captive in the back with the kunai to encourage him up the steps. "Are you so eager to begin work?"

The dark shinobi snickered a long dry laugh which made Shikamaru's skin crawl. "There has been no war for such a long time Kubashi. It is not often that I am given an opportunity to use the full potential of my abilities."

Once Shikamaru reached the top of the stairs, he gulped nervously when he saw the face belonging to the voice. The Rain nin Gizan was, like Kuma and Kubashi, obviously a veteran of many battles. Thin scars covered a broad face which harbored a single left eye that seemed to pierce through anything it sees. The right eye was sunken and covered in smooth skin without the slit of an eyelid, showing that Gizan had never been born with two eyes. Gizan regarded Shikamaru with his one eye, then motioned with a quick jerk of his head for them to follow.

Flanked by two fully armed shinobi, Shikamaru did not even bother to entertain the thought of overpowering them. They moved onwards through a short hallway that provided neither lights or windows to see by, though from somewhere Shikamaru caught a whiff of fresh air. Its tinged with moisture. he thought. This base must be small if I can smell the rain from here. The hallway quickly ended at a heavy looking door. Gizan paused in front of the door, then entered after a muffled voice uttered permission. He entered and closed the door behind him, leaving his companion and the prisoner behind.

Alone with Kubashi, Shukamaru was left in an uncomfortable silence. The hairs on the back of the Anbu's neck suddenly stood up as he felt eyes upon him. Looking up, he saw several yellow eyes staring down from darkness within the supporting beams.

Kubashi noticed Shikamaru's discomfort and chuckled in his strange way. "Ku ku ku. You like my pets?" One fluttered down to perch on the Rain shinobi's shoulder, revealing itself to be a falcon. The hawk nosed shinobi stroked its' feathers lovingly. "They are most useful in scouting dangerous terrains."

Shikamaru groaned inwardly, remembering the falcon he saw before his capture. Damn! I should have taken familiars into account. Some Anbu I am!

Satisfied with the attention it received, the falcon fluttered back up to the beams. Shikamaru watched it leave through a small opening in the ceiling that he had not noticed before, despite the faint rays of sunlight that trickled through.

With nothing else to do, Kubashi prodded his prisoner painfully in the back with the tip of the kunai, and was rewarded when Shikamaru jumped at the unexpected action. "Nervous? Ku ku ku, you should be. Gizan-san likes to play with new toys. Ku ku ku."

Shikamaru ignored the stooped shinobi and tried to focus on his surroundings. There was only one door leading out of the corridor, which meant that it was likely the only intended exit. The small opening in the roof above his head might be an alternative; From what Shikamaru could see through the darkness, the opening seemed to be hastily built to accommodate Kubashi's falcons. Strands of bare roots hung over the opening, leading the Anbu to assume that the Rain Base was located underground. The boards holding the roost open did not seem very sturdy, with some work the opening might be large enough for himself and Neji to squeeze through...

Shikamaru's mind was interrupted by Gizan suddenly pushing the door open. The one eyed shinobi motioned Kubashi to escort Shikamaru in, which he did with a few quick prods with his weapon. Shikamaru hissed when he felt the cuts trickle blood down the small of his back, no doubt seeping through the white clothes he was wearing.

Inside, he found the room to be dimly lit with low powered electrical lights. There was enough light to see that the room was roughly twice the size of the prison cell. It contained a single chair in which the fifth Rain nin occupied. Behind him was another door which had to be the exit.

Shikamaru was led to stand before The fifth Rain nin, who greeted the prisoner with silence. He seemed a little older than Hariyo, and defiantly younger than the other three Shinobi. A brown cap adorned his head in which strands of thick auburn hair stuck out in unruly strands, a small goatee of a similar color framed the chin of his narrow face. His dark eyes peered with scrutiny at the Anbu captive. Shikamaru noted that even in a sitting position, the Rain nin held the commanding presence of a leader.

"Name." The goateed shinobi inquired with arms crossed.

Shikamaru used his alias. "Yamada Toshi"

To his right, Shikamaru saw Gizan's single eye blink slowly at him. "If you don't answer Soruyo-san right, I will break your ribs one by one."

Shikamaru stiffened. He had been seen through, this was going to be tough. "Nara Shikamaru."

"Nara clan eh?" The goateed shinobi Soruyo looked thoughtful, as if trying to remember something. "Was it one of the Nara clan that killed your brother Gizan? I don't suppose it might be this little Anbu."

Shikamaru remained silent. The only sound that filled the room was the soft electrical hum of the lights, which barely reflected the beads of sweat forming on the young Anbu face. He was treading dangerous grounds.

The cycloptic shinobi Gizan chuckled dryly, breaking the silence. "If it was this Nara, I should thank him. My brother was a troublesome sort."

Soruyo ignored Gizan and instead focused his attention on the captive. In one fluid motion, he stood up and walked to the young Anbu, stopping a to look down at him. "Tell me," his tenor voice had gone cold. "What do you know of 'Tsunade's Legacy?'"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Not much."

A blow from Gizan to his side made Shikamaru stagger for balance. The punch was painful, but did not break any bones.

"Next time I will break something." Gizan growled.

Shikamaru knew the questioning of Tsunade Legacy was the only reason he was left alive; For that he intended to buy as much time as he could for himself and Neji. A few broken bones was to be expected for avoiding a question.

"What do you know?" Gizan stuck his single eye close to the prisoner's face.

Shikamaru clutched his sore side. "Don't remember." He closed his eyes and braced himself for another blow to descend.

"That's enough Gizan." Soruyo held up a hand to stop the one eyed shinobi. The Rain leader smirked at his companion. " I just remembered, the Oiwa family has a warrant for members of the Nara clan. They will pay handsomely for an intact Nara clansman."

"Ku ku ku. The Owia Family never could forget a grudge." Kabushi chuckled from behind Shikamaru. The Anbu had forgotten about him.

"Intact, eh?" Gizan looked thoughtful and lowered his fist, a strange gleam entered his only eye as he smiled slyly. "Then I shall use my jitsu to punish him."

"Do so." Soruyo nodded. "But keep in mind that he still needs to be questioned."

Gizan stepped away to circle around his captive. The Rain nin's one eye rolled around its socket to roam over the young Anbu's body, and was grinning gleefully as he did so. Shikamaru was reminded of a predator examining its cornered prey before the kill. He suddenly felt very naked before Gizan; Without his weapons or chakra he felt completely vulnerable.

Gizan stopped before his captive, his one eye had opened wide enough to show all the whites surrounding the small black pupil centered in the middle. The pupil caught hold of Shikamaru, it seemed to engulf the Anbu's entire mind, seducing him into a partial trance. Shikamaru felt his body stiffen to the spot.

Wh-What? Is this a shadow technique? His sluggish mind thought frantically.

"My Evil Eye has hypnotic powers." Gizan chuckled. "You might say that it is similar to a point with the legendary Shiringan of your village."

Shikamaru's body trembled as he fought against the effects of the Evil Eye. He wanted to recoil as a hand extended out to touch his face. Gizan held his captive's face steady as he examined the eyes of his prisoner with a smirk.

"A leader must assume responsibility for his subordinates. No matter what happens, you alone are responsible for their safety." The smirk on Gizan's face broadened. "Do you want to see the fate you have brought upon your comrade?"

Cupping Shikamaru's chin in one hand, Gizan closed his Evil Eye and made some symbols with his free hand. "Akumu no jitsu!" His eye opened, the pupil had fully extended to turn his eye entirely black.

Shikamaru felt himself falling into Gizan's eye. The young Anbu's mind was opened to the room which served as his prison cell. In a corner of the room, Neji laid convulsing in a pool of his own blood, his white clothes torn and reddened where skin had been flayed down to the naked bone. Kuma and Hariyo stood over him, the medical shinobi held twin globes dripping with blood that were unmistakably Hyuuga eyes.

Hariyo held up his needle thin dagger to his victim, smiling as he reached down to work again. Neji's body twisted horribly against his tormentors, his back arching to scream as his hollow eyes stared into nothingness.

Shikamaru's knees gave way and he fell to all fours, gasping for breath. Neji! He tried to shut his mind from those gaping eyes staring emptily up at him. His hands gripped the grain of the floor as he vainly tried to hold himself back from an onslaught of terrible guilt. Its all my fault! Its all my fault! Its all my fault! A small whimper escaped his lips.

"You fool!" Soruyo pulled Gizan away, the Rain leader pointed angrily at the prisoner on the ground. "I told you to take it easy with him! We are not finished interrogating!"

"Che, there's still that other one." Gizan scoffed, he seemed pleased with himself. "Interrogate him."

Gizan was knocked flat to the floor by a punch to the face from Soruyo. The Rain leader scowled down at his subordinate, his eyes holding a dangerous light. "When I give an order, I expect it to be followed."

Gizan looked up at Soruyo, a defiant smirk on his face. "Too bad for you, the Nara will not be able to be questioned for a few days. You can play with the Hyuuga until then."

Soruyo glared down at Gizan. "The Anbu is more valuable, you know that. I will no longer tolerate you or Kuma's insolence. You Gizan, have gone too far." The goateed Rain nin turned to leave through the opposite door. He turned at the last second as remembering something. "Return him to his cell. Questioning will resume in two days."

Once Soruyo had left, Gizan rubbed his cheek and looked up at Kubashi, who was chuckling softly. Gizan sneered at his stooped companion. "Hmph. Young pups don't know how to have fun anymore."

Shikamaru could not recall when he was dumped into his cell. Neji's hollow eyes haunted him with every passing moment. On the ground, he curled up into a tight ball in an attempt to protect himself from that vision, which was now speaking to him.

"...maru...Shikamaru!"

A slap to the face brought Shikamaru's teary eyes into focus. Neji's face blurred into view, his pale eyes full of concern. "Can you hear me?"

"Neji?" Shikamaru croaked, his hands groped for the Hyuuga's shirt. "Oh god! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!"

"By the First! What did they do to you!" Neji was unnerved by his companion's frantic babblings, though now he could clearly see the warning signs of Shikamaru working himself into a fit. Neji brushed loose strands of hair from his distressed friend's face, whose dark eyes did not seem to focus on reality. The young Hyuuga desperately racked his brain for an idea on how to calm Shikamaru down before he injured himself. Neji suddenly remembered how his late father had once comforted his young son after a bad dream. He decided to put that memory to use.

"Shhh, its ok. It was a bad dream." Neji gathered Shikamaru into his arms, who immediately began to sob uncontrollably into his chest. Neji slowly rocked back and forth, cradling the shuddering form while gently stroking his hair and face. "It was all just a dream. Shhh."

After a long while, the young Anbu had calmed down past the point of hysteria. His body continued to shake with sobs as he clutched tightly onto the young Hyuuga, refusing to release his hold. It pained Neji to witness the once carefree and aloof Shikamaru reduced to such an emotionally unstable state. All he could do was hug his crying friend closer to himself as he tried to soothe the demons away.

Neji knew in his heart that his attempts were futile. No matter how successful he was at driving bad dreams away, the nightmare will just resume the next day.

Notes: "Akumu no jitsu!" translates to "Nightmare Technique"

Some notes on the names of the Rain Shinobi.

With the exception of Gizan and Soruyo, all the Rain nin's names have a significance to their characters. Kuma is Japanese for bear, which is what the fur cloak that he wears is made of. Kubashi is a play on the Japanese word for 'beak,' Hariyo is also a play on the word for 'Needle.'

I'd like to know what you think. Please R/R!