Choice:

A Terrible Splendor

---

Author's Note: The last chapter was really kind of dark, so I apologize for that, but it was needed to further the plot. The whole story is kind of dark, anyway. But for your enjoyment (and mine) there will be a fair amount of fluff in this next chapter, especially at the beginning. Later, though, it'll get dark and dangerous again.

---

Act V: Fits of Madness

---

They walked in silence while they trod through the cemetery, Sakura holding onto Shikamaru's arm for support and determinedly not looking at the graves below her, her eyes fixed on the gray, cloudy sky.

"Shikamaru."

The young strategist glanced at his companion, watching her hair blow in the wind. "Aa?"

"Are you afraid of dying?" she asked, biting her lip. At his silence, she took a quick look at him and blushed, ashamed. "Gomen. Don't answer."

He was quiet for a little more before answering anyway. "I'm a shinobi. I'm not supposed to be afraid of dying."

She looked at him from the corners of her eyes, jade orbs swiveling towards him, waiting for him to continue.

Sighing against his padded vest and finding the tactic of avoiding her questioning supremely futile, Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not a perfect shinobi, though. I've been faced with more than my fair share of life-threatening situations, you know that, and each time I've been so caught up in battle that I don't really think about whether or not I want to keep fighting." He paused, shifting his arm so that hers was around his shoulders and putting his other hand under her knees, picking her up bridal-style. Ignoring her surprise, he moved faster into the crowd of damp evergreens, continuing his answer. "But... hai. I think I am afraid of dying. Of leaving what I've learned, or who I've met. Especially now, at I guess what you would call a young age. I don't have anyone to pass on my knowledge to. I don't have a kid, or a young cousin or anything. No one would be around to continue my life when I'm not living it anymore. That's what scares me most."

Sakura sighed as they slowed to a stop. He sat her against a tree and knelt next to her. "Good."

"Good?"

"Aa, good. I was wondering if it was so very un-shinobilike to be afraid of something like death." She smiled dryly at him.

"I think I'd be a fool if I wasn't," he replied honestly, turning his head to the tops of the trees.

"And everyone knows you're not a fool, Shikamaru." She smiled slightly and grasped his hand with hers. He stiffened slightly, but relaxed at her touch, and closed his eyes lightly until she spoke again. "You know, I hated you back at the Academy."

His eyes flew open, and he looked at her with an expression of disbelief. That was purely Sakura, all right. A touch of compassion, a bit of a compliment, and the power of arousing a feeling of content and well-being in a man's chest, and then-- wham. A chakra-induced punch in the gut. "Nani?" His voice camed out harsher than he intended, cold and clipped.

"Kami-sama, Shikamaru, I don't hate you now." She rolled her eyes, making him feel like even more of an idiot. "I never knew you cared for my opinion that much."

So she wanted to play this game, eh? Fine. He'd join in.

"I don't. It's your exceptionally tactful way of saying it that entrances me."

"Entrances?" She smiled at him with an eyebrow raised. "I never knew I had that effect on you, Shikamaru."

Holy shit. Was she flirting with him?

She leaned a bit closer and blinked at him innocently, jade eyes fringed with spiky dark lashes.

Yep. Definitely flirting.

Might as well make the most of it, he smirked inwardly. After all, they both definitely needed a little fun to take their minds off the shit they were in now, right? Right. He turned his head so his lips were next to her ear and whispered. "You have no idea."

He marveled in the shiver that visibly coursed down her spine.

Sakura flared after her moment of weakness, glaring at his neck as he bent over her ear. Damn him. She smiled slightly after a moment of thought, looking up at him. Everybody has a weakness. Even geniuses. She traced his jawline with an index finger, watching his eyes flicker towards her, then stubbornly away. "Really, Shika-kun? Well... I have a way how I can find out."

Shika-kun? What the hell was that? He fixed his eyes on her neck, but they disobeyed him (as they were suddenly continually doing whenever Sakura was around) and traveled down, down her creamy skin, past a funnily endearing mole on her throat, and down the stretched fabric of her shirt...

...and immediately back up as she actually kissed his jaw. Right under his ear. Smack dab on his jawline. With lips and a silent, breathy sigh, and everything.

He was in shock.

And then suddenly her hands were beneath his vest and on his sides, fingers wriggling and teasing the skin beneath his shirt, and he snorted, completely ruining the magical moment he'd just encountered. Her slim digits explored his sides, and his snorts became full-blown laughter, shoulder-shaking and hearty, as he tried to stop her. Every grasp and snatch of a wrist was futile, however... she was quicker than she seemed.

Sakura was laughing, too, as he keeled over with his hands on her wrists, pulling her down with him. They laughed together, chests pressing against each others', until Sakura finished, laughing too hard to continue. And it was when he opened his eyes to brush a tear away that Shikamaru realized that once again they were in that compromising position. Sakura was on top of him, her lips that-effing-close to his own, her chest skimming against his with every inhale and exhale. Their fingers had somehow gotten intertwined, and she was staring into his eyes (God, those eyes) with a reverence that seemed almost unworthy of him. Her pink hair surrounded them both like silken curtains.

"Shika... Shikamaru..." Why couldn't she say his name without practically tripping over it, for God's sake? Sakura mentally slapped herself. Just roll off. Just roll off now. Or we can take him right here and now... Sakura couldn't roll off. (Actually, she felt more like following her other half's advice, but that just... wouldn't be right... right.)

Shikamaru loved the way she blushed when she said his name, her tongue lightly tracing her lips in an effort to moisten them. And he couldn't contain himself anymore.

He kissed her.

It was a light brush of the lips, barely even a kiss, just a too-quick sliding of his lips against hers. He was in awe at even that small contact... were her lips really that soft? She was staring at him, as if waiting for him. Waiting for something more, something more to tell her that the last kiss hadn't been an accident, hadn't been a dream.

Well, who was he to deny her an answer?

The second kiss was a little less graceful. They sat up together, moving as one, and he lightly stroked her neck, hesitating as he moved his face towards hers. They paused for a moment, breath mingling. Sakura looked at him. "Shikamaru... I..."

"Troublesome women," he breathed acussingly, blaming her but loving her. "I always knew they were trouble."

She giggled softly, and he caught her curved mouth in the second kiss. It was awkward, but sweet and close-mouthed, blushes staining their cheeks.

The third kiss was different.

When they broke apart, Shikamaru attacked with a vigor that totally annihilated his reputation of being lazy. Suddenly, they were a frenzy of lips and gasps. Sakura curved her arms around his neck. He wound his around her waist.

They broke apart again, panting heavier this time, and Sakura blushed. "Ano... that was..."

"Nice," he answered simply. "Troublesome woman... flower. Troublesome flower. But nice." His words came out in a jumble, but she seemed to know what he meant. That was the nice part. She would always know. There would be no confusion.

Sakura felt herself embracing him, but the only real sensation was his arms tightening in response. She was dimly aware of her happy smile, but what came into clear focus in her mind was his half-smirk, half-grin spread cheekily across his face. Was this what she wanted to feel, then, this unselfish attentiveness? All her needs seemed insignificant. He was the only person there. The only one for her. Shikamaru. Her genius. Her lazy genius.

Suddenly, the pressure on her increased, and she was smothered to the ground, Shikamaru looking alert and worried. A kunai whizzed past their heads, lodging inside the tree they had been resting on, right were Sakura's head would have been.

Sakura got up quickly, Shikamaru following her lead, and they drew their respective weapons, shuriken clutched tight in a ready hand. As their attacker came into the light, Sakura relaxed slightly. "Shikamaru, we can't hurt him. It's a patient."

The sick man ambled towards them, hardly able to walk. He was obviously a ninja, with his headband tied around his waist, but he was also very, very ill. He looked close to death already. "How did he get out of the hospital area?" Shikamaru asked, cursing under his breath.

"Neji's burying the washed-up bodies, remember? He must have snuck out. He's mad." Sakura approached him carefully. "Sir? Gomen, but we have to take you back to the hospital."

"N...no..." the man moaned. His voice was scratchy, reminiscent of sandpaper. "S...so much paaaaiiiiin..."

Sakura visibly shuddered as he drew out the word. "I know you're in pain, Sir, which is why we have to get you back. We have to make you healthy again."

He trudged forward, towards them. Shikamaru kept his weapon up. The man smirked slightly. "Affff... afraid?"

Sakura frowned, stepping in between them, kunai up. "Please, Sir, we just want to get you back safely." She felt a pit of worry gnawing at her stomach, all the good feeling from before curdling into a sour feeling inside of her.

And he was gone.

"Nani?" she whispered. "Shikamaru, be caref-"

"AAAAUUUGH!"

She spun around at the bloodcurdling cry, spun around frantically to see Shikamaru's neck being bitten hard by the ill man. It echoed in her mind. Was he still screaming? Her face paled. She threw the kunai. Hit the man in the heart, killed him. He was out of his misery now, at least.

Shikamaru. He collapsed onto the ground, holding his neck, blood sliding from his fingers, down his vest, down his shirt. His breathing was ragged. Sakura's feet carried her to him. She knelt before him, falling heavily on her knees, and felt her face contort in horror and worry and despair. "Shikamaru..."

"Sakura..." His eyes clouded. "Don't get near me..." He swayed dangerously. "Troublesome... troublesome flower..."

"Shik... Shikama... Sh..." She stared at his body, keeled over in a dead faint. Stared at the curse mark.

Shikamaru.

Bitten.

Diseased.

Oh, God.

---

"NEJIIII!"

The cry caused him to look up from the ground immediately, his dark hair flying with the jerk of his head. He knew that voice... that was Sakura's voice. Filled with such despair, such hopelessness, such absolute anguish! "What the hell happened?"

The jounin ANBU raced into the forest, ignoring the workers' questioning looks, dashing in and out of trees, wishing that he had Rock Lee's extreme speed. Rustling echoed throughout the forest... an assassin? Someone from Sound to take down the team? Was someone hurt?

He molded his appendages into defensive formation, hands raising to the memorized height as the rustling grew louder. The person broke through, and he let out a sigh of relief. It was Sakura, carrying Shikamaru, who looked wholly unhurt. "What happened?"

Sakura looked up at him. Why was she so pale? Was it just him, or were her eyes a duller green than before? She shook her head.

"Sakura, what happened to Shikamaru-san?" His voice was demanding. Worry fogged his mind.

She shook her head again and gently turned Shikamaru's head, showing his neck from the shock of hair his ponytail provided.

The Curse Seal.

Neji gaped.

Sakura gently put Shikamaru into his waiting arms and cleared her throat, looking at the sky, Neji, the trees... anything but her new lover's unmoving body. "An ill shinobi came into the clearing we were in. We were... distracted, but Shikamaru pulled me down just before the kunai was thrown."

"He was enemy shinobi?" Neji asked, quietly. Still puzzled. Still gaping.

"No, Konoha. I think I've seen him around before. But Neji, he was mad, remember? He was in a stage of madness." She swallowed. "I didn't think he was a threat... he was ill, you know? But he was a shinobi. Even in madness, ninja can... can still hurt. Think of Gaara-san."

Neji nodded, not in understanding, but because he felt like she wanted him to understand anyway.

"He vanished. Must have used a replacement jutsu or something, I didn't check. But I told Shikamaru to be careful, and all of a sudden there's this--" She seemed to choke for a moment. "-- this horrible scream, and I turn around and throw the kunai at the man, and..." She shut her eyes, squeezed them shut to block out the memories. It didn't work.

"He was bitten." It was a statement, not a question; Neji saw no need for one, he knew the answer. Shikamaru was bitten. Shikamaru would be ill. Shikamaru would die.

Sakura nodded wearily. "I can't believe it."

Silence.

Neji shook his head after a long pause, pushing his mask up to hide his face. Sakura did the same, and he turned stiffly. "We have to get him to the hospital. We have to try and take care of him."

Sakura looked at Neji furiously, her face hidden by the ANBU mask. "In that stinking hell?"

"What other choice do we have, Sakura?" he asked angrily, turning on her again. "Just kill him right now?"

"Why not? He wouldn't have to go through the pain."

It was an empty answer, and she knew it. She wouldn't kill him, and she wouldn't let Neji kill him, either.

The Hyuuga prodigy shook his head with a sigh. "Come on. You can work on the dead body again, see if you can get anything from that curse seal."

Sakura nodded numbly, too tired, too shocked, too broken to even argue. "Hai."

They walked towards the graveyard/hospital with their precious cargo in Neji's hands, stepping slowly for the painful burden on their shoulders, the setting sun shining dully, hidden by clouds, from behind them.

Day four came to a close.

---

Naruto had no appetite.

After Sasuke's outburst, he had forcefully dragged his friend away from the Hokage's office and literally shoved him into his own apartment where he could keep an eye on him. Neither had slept for the whole night, and had gone through the entire next day in near silence, training hard and fast.

Naruto had broken the silence first with a quiet suggestion to go to Ichiraku. "I'm kinda hungry," he'd said without feeling.

Sasuke had nodded dully, and the two were now sitting in front of the ramen bar, ignoring the overly-cheerful owner in front of them.

Naruto lifted his chopsticks slowly, the noodles slipping from them and splashing back into his soup. Growling lazily, he dug for them again, only to let them slide back down. Giving it up as a bad job, he pushed the bowl away from him, looking over at Sasuke. His bowl was untouched, his chopsticks still unbroken. "Oi, Sasuke."

"Nani." His voice was cold and sharp.

"Maybe we should listen to Tsunade-baa-chan."

"..."

Naruto leaned against the counter, folding his arms across the wood. "She's the one that's been teaching Sakura-chan for the past, what... five years? Six years? She knows what she can do, and if she has trust in her, maybe we should... y'know... do the same."

"I have trust in her," Sasuke said icily, not looking at him. "It's Orochimaru I don't trust."

Naruto exhaled. "Me neither, teme, me neither. But Tsunade-baa-chan knows him, too."

Sasuke said nothing for a long time, but broke his chopsticks and rubbed them together slowly, more for something to do than actually to eat with them. "Shut up."

"Nani?" Naruto looked at him, his face twisting in anger.

"I said: shut up. I don't want to hear it."

"Damn it, teme, you're always like this. You'd rather be moody and brooding and getting attention for it than hopeful and sharing the fucking spotlight. What's your problem?" Naruto knew baiting his friend was extremely unwise, but his thoughts were elsewhere at the moment.

Sasuke glared at him. "Say that again."

Naruto leered back, clenching his fists, his cerulean eyes narrowing. "Okay. You'd rather be moody and brooding and getting a- OUCH!"

Sasuke had punched him in the face, his fist griding into Naruto's cheek. "I told you to shut up."

Naruto rubbed his cheek, grasping the counter for support. His eyes smoldered angrily. "And I told you to belive in Sakura-chan. So did Tsunade. Maybe it's time we did."

Sasuke said nothing, and Naruto took that as grudging agreement, so he smiled slightly and reached for his ramen. This time, he got the noodles, slurping in relief.

"So you're not going to go run after her or anything crazy like that?"

Sasuke looked at his ramen, stirring absently with a single chopstick.

"Don't you care about her? About what could happen?"

Naruto growled low in his throat at the accusation, his eyes narrowing again. "Are you crazy, teme? I've cared for her longer than you have, and probably more than you have, too. Don't talk to me about not caring about Sakura-chan when you were the one that pushed her away for a year." He stabbed at his ramen and sighed. "Look, Sasuke, we won't be able to help her or anyone else arguing like this. We have to stop."

Since when was Naruto a voice of reason? Sasuke frowned at his food and then at his teammate and friend. "Aa."

"You promise you won't run after her?"

Sasuke looked at the sky, where the darkness was slowly being pierced by light.

"Aa. But only if you don't, either."

Naruto smiled slightly and gave Sasuke a thumbs-up, reminiscent of so many promises made, so many promises that he had kept and tried to keep. He grinned cheekily. "That's a promise, teme."

---

Kabuto pushed up his glasses with his left index finger and exhaled from his teeth, feeling the breath come out in a hiss as he fingered the papers he held, reading over them carefully.

"Kabuto, you have the information I requested?"

Orochimaru's voice was metallic and slick like the snake he summoned, twisting this way and that, the toungue sliding between the teeth with every syllable. He sat otherwise silently on a set of steps, gazing out at the shadows of the dark room, his useless arms hanging by his sides.

The silver-haired medic bowed slightly and waved the forms in the air. "Hai. Would you like me to read them to you?"

"No. Lay them in front of me and leave."

Kabuto was slightly taken aback. What had he done to deserve this burst of malice and sarcasm? Frowning, he bowed again. "Hai, Orochimaru-sama." He put the papers on the floor and backed out of the room, pushing up his glasses again.

The Snake Sannin sighed lightly and looked at the papers, serpentine eyes scanning over them.

Name: Haruno Sakura

Age: 17

Teachers: Godaime Hokage, Hatake Kakashi. Trains with Hyuuga Neji, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Yamanaka Ino, Hyuuga Hinata, Rock Lee. Corresponds with Kazekage and siblings.

Techniques: Mystical Palm Technique, Poison Extraction Technique, Sakura Blizzard Technique, Incredible Strength, Medical Ninjutsu (Possibly More)

Specialties: Genjutsu, Chakra Control, Strategics, Medical Ninjutsu

Rank: Jounin ANBU on Hyuuga Neji's squad (Nara Shikamaru, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto included in the squad)

Kinjutsu: Undetermined (Most Likely None)

Orochimaru let out a hiss between his teeth. Worthless information, all of it. Why was Kabuto still in his employ? Worthless brat. He shifted the papers with his tongue and licked his lips slowly.

Maybe he'd approach the Haruno girl himself. That was, after all, the only true way to measure her abilities. Besides, she probably needed some comfort after his bunshin infected her teammate and lover.

Well, lovers were always a problem, after all. Orochimaru had to have gotten rid of him somehow, so why not let his precious flower belive it was an accident?

He smirked slightly. Yes, the idea of confronting the cherry blossom girl cheered him slightly. Getting up, he retracted his tongue to a normal size and shook his hair out of snakelike eyes, golden and cruel.

I'm coming, cherry blossom...