CHAPTER 26 – Seen and Unseen

Five days away.

Four people dead.

Three chuunins offering what aid and comfort they could, which wasn't much.

Two Akatsuki who had devastated the village.

One person who trained alone, waiting impatiently for them to return.

One of the four guards who had been killed in Ishigakure had a wife and young children, and Shikamaru would never forget their glazed, terrified faces. One was newly married, and his heartbroken bride whispered that she was thinking of ending her life, too. Two were young chuunins, a boy and a girl about the same age as Ino and Shikamaru. He could imagine them grousing together about pulling guard duty on New Year's Day, maybe laughing and sharing a sip of sake on the sly. Now their parents sat like stones, looking almost literally crushed by the weight of their grief.

For all of them, Shikamaru knew, the holidays – the most festive and joyful time of the year – were destroyed forever. Like the ripples from a stone shattering a peaceful pond, it spread from the families and friends of the dead outward, touching not only those who had known them but everyone in the whole village, and even the small neighboring villages. It touched Asuma-sensei's team as well. For all of them, Shikamaru thought, the New Year would be inextricably linked to this tragedy.

They were there to help, in any way they could; to work with the army and strategize about how to prevent these kinds of attacks in the future. But everywhere they turned were reminders of what had happened; everywhere they were met with stark, stunned anguish. The small shinobi force were shell-shocked, endlessly replaying that night, and too demoralized to focus on the future.

Shikamaru could hear Ino crying at night, and he suspected Chouji was as well. He went outside, to where Asuma was smoking a cigarette.

"Really makes you appreciate life, huh?" Asuma said.

He hadn't thought of it in those terms, and he envied Asuma's ability to do that. For himself, he just felt numb, and angry. Angry at the Akatsuki, of course, but also at his own helplessness.

"Your strategies will be useful in a couple of days," Asuma said. "Give them time. They can't take it in right now, but in a day or two they'll want to get back fighting."

Maybe, Shikamaru thought. Asuma had seen battle; he had lived through the war, so presumably he knew what he was talking about. Shikamaru only knew his own sense of futility. Not for the first time, he wondered if he was really cut out for this. Neji would be better, he thought.

###

Shikamaru would be so much better at this, Neji thought. He was not cut out for just hanging around the house. He tried to be helpful to Yoshino, but, as with the holiday preparations, she only gave him a few token jobs to do. It was ironic, he thought – if he had been a regular houseguest who arrived bearing expensive gifts, Yoshino would have had no problem with asking him to help out. But because legally he was considered the Naras' property, and Yoshino hated that idea, she bent over backward never to treat him in any way like a servant.

He had taken to sleeping in Shikamaru's bed. After that first night, he told himself it was wrong, and he would not do it again. When it started to get dark on the second night, he told himself he would only lie down for a little while to watch the stars. But a little while turned long and then longer, and he found himself dozing off. When he awoke it was past midnight, and he told himself it might disturb the Naras if he got up and opened up the futon now.

On the third night he abandoned all pretense and just decided to sleep in Shikamaru's bed. He had gotten much less modest in the past few months and now slept in a simple t-shirt and shorts like Shikamaru did. It was a hot night, and he went a step further and slipped off his shirt to sleep as Shikamaru often did. Shikamaru had told him that in fact he used to sleep in the nude. For one daring moment he had the wild impulse to pull off all his clothes and sleep naked in Shikamaru's bed. But he could not bring himself to do that. As he did each night, he said a prayer that Shikamaru and his team would be safe, and gazed up at the stars until his eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of the night air on his bare skin.

Shikamaru lay next to him, clad in only his boxers, his thick hair down around his shoulders, his lazy almond eyes gazing at Neji. "Kiss me again," Shikamaru said.

Neji opened his eyes. It was early morning, and, though the sun was not yet fully up, he felt hot all over. He slid off the bed and headed for the bathroom to splash cold water on his face. He should go meditate, he thought, clear his mind, and then go for a run. But he could not shake the memory of the dream and Shikamaru's expression, or of the night they had kissed. He stood in the center of Shikamaru's room, gazing absently out the window, suffused in his thoughts.

"Oh! Excuse me."

Yoshino was in the doorway, her arms full of laundry, looking at him in surprise. His heart racing, Neji remembered his manners and made a hasty bow, realizing as he did that he was only wearing boxers.

"I – ah – Nara-san, I'm so sorry –"

"No, I'm sorry," Yoshino said. "I didn't mean to disturb you, I just –" He saw her eyes widen slightly as she took in the unmade bed, and Neji's discarded shirt lying on it. Neji felt himself flush a deep red.

"I…uh…"

"No, no, it's fine," Yoshino said, looking flustered. "If Shikamaru told you you could sleep in his bed, that's fine. I'm sure it's more comfortable. Please, feel free to sleep there as long as you like."

"Nara-san, I could never presume to –"

"Please," Yoshino said, not meeting his eyes. "I insist, please." She set the laundry down and hurried out.

Neji avoided her as much as he could the rest of the day, while at the same time trying to make himself useful. Shikamaru's grandparents were leaving, and he helped out carrying luggage and loading their cart. He felt mortified every time he thought of the morning's encounter with Yoshino, and resolved not to sleep in Shikamaru's bed any more. But that night he was back there, telling himself that not to do so would be an insult. Hadn't Yoshino asked him to, insisted even?

###

At first there was silence as they left Ishigakure on the last day and rode away. But gradually, although it felt shameful to admit, they all perked up. Ino began to chatter about how much she missed Izumo. Chouji talked about his mom's cooking, and Asuma was eager to get back to his wife and their unborn baby.

"How about you, Shikamaru?" Ino asked. "You miss Neji, I bet."

Shikamaru kept his expression neutral. "Yeah, sure…I wish he could've come with us on the mission." In truth, he didn't entirely wish that. There was nothing about the mission that needed Neji's skills, and it might have re-awakened painful memories of his father's death. Still – there was a selfish part of Shikamaru that wished Neji was there with him.

They stopped to have a bath and dinner along the way – although Chouji let them know he still had plans to eat the meal his mother would have waiting for him whenever they arrived – so it was fairly late when they reached the gates of Suna, and almost midnight when Shikamaru finally finished stabling Shadow and making sure he was comfortable, and headed wearily into his house.

All was quiet and dark as he removed his shoes and traveling cloak. He knew his relatives would have left by now, and his parents and Neji were most likely asleep, so he stepped softly as he went up the stairs, more than ready to be back in his own comfortable bed.

He let his backpack fall to the floor with a thunk and heard a sudden gasp and rustle of movement. Swiftly, he grabbed his weapons pouch and turned on a lamp. Neji was sitting up in his bed, shirtless, his hands raised defensively. They stared at each other, startled.

Neji bowed his head. "Shikamaru…I am so sorry…"

"What? What's happened?"After all the tragedy he had just seen, Shikamaru immediately feared the worst.

"No, I mean…sleeping in your bed, I didn't mean to –"

"Oh," Shikamaru said, feeling somewhat bewildered. "That's…fine, it's no big deal…" He waved a hand at Neji, who was starting to get up. "Stay, stay."

"No, I'll get the futon."

"No, don't worry about it."

"You should sleep in your own bed after your mission; I'll –"

"Neji, please, stop!" The ragged edge in his own voice surprised Shikamaru as much as it did Neji. "Please, just…stay."

Neji stilled. Feeling a little embarrassed at losing his cool, Shikamaru busied himself getting ready for bed, pulling off his clothes and tossing them on the floor, and untying his hair. When he turned Neji was sitting cross-legged on the bed, his hair down around his bare shoulders and a look of concern on his face. It was the most alluring sight Shikamaru had ever seen, and he had to fight back an overwhelming urge to put his hands on Neji. Instead, he lay down on the edge of the bed, covering his face with one arm.

"Do you want me to rub your back?" Neji asked. His low voice seemed to vibrate in the air.

"You don't have to," Shikamaru automatically objected. "I mean, you're not really a Pet and – "

"Cut the crap."

"Huh?" Shikamaru said, bemused.

"That's what you always tell me whenever I talk about the money I owe you. I know I'm not your Pet. I'm offering as a friend. Like you did for me after the tournament."

It seemed easier to just give in than to argue, so Shikamaru rolled over onto his stomach.

"It was pretty bad, huh?" Neji said, his fingers digging into the knot of muscle at the base of Shikamaru's neck.

"Yeah. Yeah…the whole village was…just a wreck."

"They should have been better prepared," Neji said.

"They're a small village. And it was right on the holiday. Would you have expected that? Nobody would." The heavy sadness of Ishigakure seemed to have settled into his bones. He had not thought he would talk about it. He had not wanted to talk about it. But here in the dark, with Neji's strong hands soothing the pain from his muscles, he found himself speaking, letting the words spill out in no particular order. In some part of his mind he wondered if Neji's arms were getting tired, but it felt so good. He talked until he was exhausted, until he felt his eyes closing. After several moments of drowsy silence, he finally felt Neji's hands slow and then lift from his back. He could feel Neji moving, preparing to get up. Shikamaru turned his head just enough to see Neji from the corner of his eye.

"Neji, stay. It's fine; I don't mind. I won't…do anything, you know that."

"Yes," Neji said quietly. "I know that."

Neji was unusually…nice to him the next day. He let Shikamaru sleep in and didn't bother him about training. He brought Shikamaru coffee. It was black – it had probably never crossed Neji's mind to put in sugar or cream, since he always only drank plain green tea. But it was hot, which was good enough. He even cooked a simple breakfast. All day long, he played games of shogi or Go or just sat quietly reading with Shikamaru, without ever seeming to get restless or bored.

Shikamaru didn't know how long this would last, but he decided to just enjoy it while he could. It wasn't in Neji's nature to keep this up for more than a day or so.

As it turned out, less than that. Toward evening, Neji disappeared to go running, and he was up bright and early the next day, calling Shikamaru to get ready for training.

"Next mission, I'll be going with you," Neji said with a gleam in his eye. Shikamaru was far from looking forward to the next mission, but he tried to seem enthusiastic for Neji's sake. And he was excited to have Neji along. It was just that…on paper, and in shogi games, battle strategies were clear and intriguing. But in real life, with real human beings, it became terrible and sad.

Ino and Chouji seemed to feel the same way. They too were more subdued, unlike the rest of their little training group – Kakashi's team, Sai and Neji – who were running through training exercises with their usual mixture of vigor, complaining, and joking around. Kakashi's team had also been on a mission, but it had been a simple perimeter patrol, checking the areas around the village for signs of Akatsuki. Nothing had been found, and they had been rather bored.

Toward the end of the day, when even Kakashi's team had run out of steam, Asuma signaled to Shikamaru and Neji to stay behind for a minute.

Shikamaru felt a pang of dread. Not another mission, so soon.

"There's a tournament coming up in a couple of weeks I'd like to sign the team up for," Asuma said, lighting a cigarette. "And hopefully, you too, Neji."

Shikamaru sighed. Another damn tournament.

###

Another tournament! Neji was eager to sign up. Another chance to pay back some – hopefully, another sizable chunk – of the money he owed the Naras.

"But," Asuma said, "it's at Hebikawa Village." Neji saw something on Shikamaru's face.

"You probably don't know where that is," Asuma said. "It's right next to Otogakure. Orochimaru will probably be there; he likes to show himself at this one. I know you went through a lot at his hands. I know you must want revenge. But listen –"

From the corner of his eye Neji could see Shikamaru shaking his head.

"—with Akatsuki on the move and attacking, we can't afford a rift with Otogakure. If you don't think you can control yourself, then we'll give this one a pass."

"Of course I can control myself," Neji said coolly. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "I am a trained shinobi."

"I don't think this is a good idea," Shikamaru said.

"Same deal as before," Asuma said, ignoring him. "You have to enter at least one event. You can do both, of course. I'll tell Ino and Chouji."

As Asuma walked away, Shikamaru looked at Neji. He didn't look happy. "What are you trying to prove? There's more important things at stake here than –"

"I told you I can control myself," Neji said. A memory surfaced of Gai-sensei, giving him a similar speech. I know you have a problem with the Hyuuga caste system, that there's bad blood between the two houses. But you can't let that get in the way of doing what we have to do. Promise me you'll control yourself.

Of course, Neji had said, only a few short weeks before he lost it completely and tried to kill Hinata. He pushed that memory away.

He tried to act as calm and professional as he could over the next two weeks, to convince Shikamaru that entering the tournament would not be a mistake. He could tell Shikamaru still felt dubious about it and probably wouldn't have wanted to enter any tournament, let alone this one. But he was determined to pay back what he owed before his year was up. That was his goal.

Everyone was in high spirits as they rode out on tournament day. Kakashi's team was participating as well, and there was a lot of joking and challenges back and forth. Neji told himself to relax and just be one of the group. He would take his revenge on Orochimaru by winning both Pet events again and beating whoever Orochimaru put up against him. He hoped it would not be sad-eyed Juugo again.

Hebikawa village was not what he was expecting. He had imagined it would be something similar to Chikaku village, but even poorer and raunchier. Hebikawa was drab and gray. It was run-down, but in a way that suggested the inhabitants had just given up. In place of the vendors that spilled into the streets of Chikaku, here all the doors and windows were shut tight. The people they encountered seemed furtive; no one looked them in the eye, no one smiled. Neji could feel the tension run through their little group as well, as everyone fell uneasily silent.

The atmosphere was better when they reached the arena. Here there were chattering crowds, excited competitors, and to Chouji's delight, an array of snack vendors. They made their way inside and got registered. As before, the Pet events would take place first, so Neji headed up to the dressing rooms to change. These were located in the upper corridor, which looked down over the main floor. Half of the dressing rooms were blocked off, with a large sign saying, "VIP ROOMS. NO GENERAL PUBLIC BEYOND THIS POINT!" A guard stood at the end of the hall, looking sullen. Neji located his team's room – a narrow dingy space that was decidedly not VIP – and changed into his fighting clothes. There was still a half hour before they had to officially check in for the first event, so he decided to go have a look at the arena and see what it was like.

He was making his way through the crowds when a flash of something purple in the upper corridor caught his eye. His skin prickled all over as he realized it was one of Otogakure's hideous purple bows. He turned, adrenaline boiling through him. For the moment forgetting his promise to Shikamaru, he pushed his way closer, trying to see. Was it one of Orochimaru's sons? He could only catch a glimpse of dark hair.

Then the person turned, showing his face, and Neji felt as if he had been slammed by an icy tidal wave.

It was not one of Orochimaru's clan. It was someone from the North, from his own village in fact. Pale skin, black spiky hair…it was the younger Uchiha, Itachi's brother.

He stood stunned, unable to think or move from the spot. The Uchiha went down the VIP corridor and disappeared into one of the rooms. The sight of the closing door galvanized Neji into action. He hurried to the stairs, taking them two at a time, and raced along the corridor. The guard was nowhere to be seen, so, ignoring the signs, he entered the VIP area. He headed for the door he had seen the Uchiha go into, moving slowly and stealthily as he approached. It was open a few inches, and through the gap he could see the young Uchiha, speaking angrily to someone.

"You promised to teach me all your techniques. That's why I did this."

Kabuto's voice sounded in the background. "You need to watch your mouth, as always."

Then Neji heard another voice, smooth and sinister. "Calm down, my dear boy. We have plenty of time."

Orochimaru. Neji could never forget or mistake that voice. His skin crawled; he felt like he could not breathe for a second.

"Don't push me," the Uchiha said. "I'm not a patient person."

"Neither am I."

"You're an old man," the Uchiha said scornfully. "And you've underestimated my power. Do you want to take me on?"

Neji tensed all over. Should he back up the Uchiha? He burned to take on Orochimaru and his evil clan. But he had promised Shikamaru. Stealthily, he drew a kunai and slipped it into his pocket. But in the next second, instead of attacking Orochimaru, the Uchiha suddenly screamed and fell to the floor, writhing and clutching his head. He clawed at the headband, pulling it loose, and Neji could see his face fully.

There was a Pet Mark on his forehead.

Neji stepped backward in horror. Was the Uchiha Orochimaru's Pet? What was happening to the proud clans of the North – Hyuuga, Uchiha – all in disarray, turning against each other and made into Pets of the South.

"Hey! You there!" The guard had reappeared and was headed toward Neji. "These are private rooms. Move along!"

Neji realized he was shaking. Every instinct in him, every atom in his body, was telling him to kill the guard, then rush in and kill Orochimaru and any other members of his cursed family who might be there. His palms were tingling; his fingers literally itched to grip his sword.

I promised Shikamaru I would not kill them, I promised Shikamaru I would not, I promised Shikamaru, I promised…

"Move along!"

Neji turned and walked out, down the steps and out of the arena, or he must have, because he found himself outside, surrounded by buzzing groups of competitors streaming in and out. He strode rapidly away from the arena, to a more secluded spot in the shade of a scrubby, gray-leaved tree. Adrenaline and fury were pumping through him; he could not stand still.

He became aware of a pain and wetness in his palm, and opened his hand to find blood. He realized he had been clutching the kunai in his pocket so hard it had cut his hand. Enraged at the pain and his own helplessness, he stabbed the kunai into the dirt, again and again, with all the force he had wanted to use on Orochimaru, until a jarring jolt in his arm told him he had hit a rock. Pulling the kunai from the dirt, he saw that he had snapped the tip off.

He shook his arm, breathing hard, and tried to collect himself. What the hell had he just seen? Why had the Uchiha been screaming? As far as Neji had seen, no one had touched him. Had he, like Neji, had a bad reaction to the Pet Mark? But he had seemed fine a minute before.

"There you are."

Neji looked up. Shikamaru was walking toward him. "I've been looking everywhere for you. C'mon, we have to go check in before Asuma kicks our butts with extra laps or something." His expression changed as he took in Neji's agitated state. "Are you okay?"

"I—" He could not go back in there and fight as a Pet in front of Orochimaru and the Uchiha. Rather, he could not do it and keep his promise not to kill somebody. "I cannot fight in the tournament."

Shikamaru looked at him in concern. "What's the matter? Are you sick?"

Neji crossed his arms. "I would just rather not."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, but he didn't ask anything more. "Okay, I'll tell them you're not feeling well."

Neji hated the excuse, as it made him look like a weakling, but he could not physically make himself go back into the arena. "Good luck in your event."

"Are you kidding? This is my perfect excuse to get out of this. You're sick and I'm taking you back to the village."

"I can take myself back to the village."

"Don't be a pain in the butt, Neji. Just sit down and wait for me while I go tell Asuma."

Neji did, sitting down in the small patch of shade which did nothing to alleviate the heat of the day. He disapproved of Shikamaru blowing off the tournament, but he could hardly argue the point when he was doing the same thing. And in a small part of his mind he was very glad to have Shikamaru's company.

He tried to push the incident away, but it all came flooding back – the slithery hiss of Orochimaru's voice, the Uchiha writhing and screaming on the floor. He wiped the sweat from his face with both hands and tried to clear his mind. But he could not, not today, not now.

Looking up, he saw Shikamaru walking back toward him and got to his feet.

"Okay, I told the—" Shikamaru stopped dead, staring at Neji. "You're bleeding."

"It's nothing, just – "

"You've got blood all over your face and your hand."

"It's just a scratch on my hand. I must have touched my face."

"That's a lot of blood for a scratch." Shikamaru set his pack down and began rummaging through it. "Let me clean it and bandage it up."

Neji started to protest, but looking at his hand, he saw that it was indeed covered in blood. Shikamaru wet a clean cloth and began to wash it off.

"I guess this is why you didn't want to fight, huh?"

"Of course not!" Neji said, affronted. "This is nothing. I've fought with way worse injuries than this."

Once the blood was washed away, Neji saw that the cut, although long, was not deep and would not cause him any trouble. Shikamaru put some ointment on it and bandaged it up, then wet a clean corner of the washcloth and began to wash the blood from Neji's face. The slow, gentle touch of Shikamaru's hand reminded Neji of how Shikamaru had touched his face when they kissed, another memory he could not afford to dwell on. Abruptly, he took the cloth from Shikamaru's hand and scrubbed his face roughly. "Come on," he said, stuffing the cloth in his backpack. "Let's get out of here."

They rode in silence for several miles, until they came to a stream where they stopped to let the horses get water and have a snack. As they sat on the bank with their feet in the cool water, Shikamaru looked over at Neji and asked the question he knew was coming.

"What's going on?"

"I saw…Orochimaru. He had a new Pet…a kid from my village, from the Uchiha clan. He was…" The words seemed to stick in Neji's throat. "I couldn't stay there with him there and…"

Shikamaru cursed under his breath. Then he said quietly, "Thanks for not attacking him."

"I'm sorry I let you down." At Shikamaru's questioning look, he said. "Quitting the tournament."

"Let me down? I told you, you're doing me a favor. And I thought we agreed to cut out any crap about being a Pet and owing money and all that."

Neji tossed the last bits of a rice ball into the stream and watched a group of small fish swarming around it, their noses breaking the surface like bubbles. "I will pay you back, though. All of it."

"Hey, if I had to pay someone for private sword training like you're giving me, it would cost plenty. As far as I'm concerned we're even."

"I'm living in your family's house, though. Eating your food." Wearing your clothes. Sleeping in your bed.

"That's just – basic hospitality, Neji. That's what we do here in the desert. It's hard out here – hard to find water, hard to find food. So if someone needs hospitality we offer it. It's not something you owe anybody for, because they'd do it for you if you needed it."

Neji wondered if this was a little dig at the North, for being cold and inhospitable. If it was, he decided, it was just lack of knowledge, because Shikamaru had never been to the North.

"So," Shikamaru said, changing the subject, "Orochimaru kidnapped another kid from one of the famous clans of the North. He's getting bolder. That's pretty troubling. If he keeps doing that, it's gonna stir up hostilities between North and South again."

Neji lifted his hair from his shoulders, tying it up high on his head. "I don't think he was kidnapped." He told Shikamaru what he had heard the Uchiha say.

"Huh. So you think he chose to be Orochimaru's Pet?"

"Or was tricked into it by Orochimaru's lies," Neji said, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice.

"I guess Orochimaru learned his lesson about kidnapping after his experience with you," Shikamaru said, giving him a little smile.

Neji reached down with his good hand and splashed water on his face. He knew he should keep silent, but Shikamaru's expression of pride and complicity made it difficult. He was lying to Shikamaru, and he hated it.

Shikamaru stretched, reached for his sandals, and looked around for the horses, who were grazing upstream. Neji made a decision.

"Shikamaru…I was not kidnapped either."

Shikamaru set his sandals down, missing the bank in distraction, and they tumbled into the water. He fished them out, looking intently at Neji.

"What do you mean?"

Slowly, quietly, Neji told him the whole story, sparing nothing, no matter how weak or foolish it made him sound. Shikamaru listened with a little frown, not saying anything. When Neji had finished speaking, they both sat gazing into the water in silence for a minute.

"That's why I owe your family," Neji said. "Because you gave up so much for me under false pretenses." He bowed his head. "I am sorry, Shikamaru."

"It doesn't really make any difference," Shikamaru said. "In fact, I kind of suspected something like that."

Neji stared at him.

"When I saw you fight, I knew he couldn't have taken you by force. And to drug you, he would have had to gain your confidence at least a little. But it doesn't matter. You didn't go with him wanting to be his Pet or participate in his evil schemes, or to attack the North or Suna. You just wanted to be a warrior."

"I tried to go against destiny."

"Neji, that's just what he does – what all slave traders do. They find people who are isolated or down and out or unhappy and they tell them what they want to hear."

Neji felt his face get hot, and he looked away. "I'm no better than any other Pet."

"You're no better than any other human being. What does being a Pet have to do with it? We all do stupid things we regret." He got to his feet and signaled to his horse.

Neji stood up also. "Stupid things. Not things that ruin people's lives."

"Has this ruined your life, being here?" Shikamaru said, sounding almost angry. "It hasn't ruined mine." Shadow tossed his head and whinnied, and Shikamaru walked over and vaulted up onto his back. "Those Akatsuki bastards – that's who ruin lives."

They did not speak much as they rode home. Shikamaru still seemed angry and Neji felt completely drained. He was mulling over the question Shikamaru had asked. It made him look at things in a different light.

###

"No."

Shikamaru raised his head. He was lying on his bed, staring idly up at the sky. The early-evening light turned everything a different color and he could just make out the faint glints of stars. Neji was standing at the foot of the bed, speaking to him. "Huh?"

"No, it hasn't ruined my life, being here."

Shikamaru felt something in his chest loosen, like a knot slipping free. "Well, okay." He smiled and moved over to make room. "The stars are out."

Neji lay down next to him.

"Life isn't ruined just because it's not what you expected it to be," Shikamaru felt compelled to say.

Neji was silent a moment, staring up at the sky. "Actually, I don't know what I expected my life to be. I was pretty much fighting against it from the start."

Shikamaru chuckled. "I had my life all planned out, but that's because I like to think ahead."

"Hey, speaking of thinking ahead – guess what happens in three days?"

"Tuesday?"

"Very funny," Neji said. "No, it's –"

"I know, I know." In three days Neji's six months would be up, and he would be able to go on missions with them.

"—free ramen day at Ichiraku," Neji finished, deadpan.

Shikamaru smirked. "Let's hope it's a decent mission. Not…finding someone's lost cat or something."

"Come on."

"No, seriously, that was our first mission as genins – to find some rich lady's cat. It was one of those stupid fancy cats, with a big red bow around its neck,"

"How hard is it to catch a cat?" Neji said, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

"Damn hard, Neji! That cat was a sneaky little devil, and fast." Shikamaru was laughing now, and Neji was grinning. "Finally, Kakashi comes along, and he says we have to get some dried jerky made from the tongue of a wild boar, because apparently cats can't resist it. Which was bull, of course. Cat totally ignores it for a while, then comes over and sniffs it. Then it starts digging in the sand, like they do when they want to bury a poop. So while it's busy insulting us, we finally close in and catch it."

"Mission accomplished, eh?"

"But that's not the best part. When we finally get it stuffed into the box, and we're carrying it back, all sweaty and scratched up, Asuma and Kakashi come along smirking like idiots, and they say…Tongue got your cat?"

Neji groaned.

"Yup. Would your sensei ever pull something like that?"

"Gai?" Neji snorted at the thought. "No, he's weird, but he doesn't pull pranks like that. You should have turned the cat loose again, let them catch it."

"Yeah…it probably would've gotten eaten by a hawk or something though. With that bow, they would have thought it was gift wrapped."

Neji laughed out loud at that, practically rolling off the bed. It was the first time Shikamaru had ever seen him really full-out laugh.

"I knew I'd get you to laugh eventually, Neji."

"You guys are nuts down here in the South."

Shikamaru chuckled. "Yep…it's the hot sun." He looked over at Neji, who was lying propped on an elbow, a smile still playing about his lips. He wanted to shut his eyes so he would not be tempted to do something he shouldn't, but he also wanted to drink in the sight. Having Neji in his bed every night like this was torture, but it was also bliss.

###

Being in Shikamaru's bed like this every night was bliss, but it was also torture. Shikamaru had seemed a little tense since the mission, but Neji could of course not offer to rub his back every night, although he longed to. He replayed that night, how Shikamaru had gradually relaxed under his ministrations.

Shikamaru was dozing, his back to Neji. Looking at him, Neji felt a wave of desire so strong he almost could not breathe for a moment. The urge to touch him was all-consuming, irresistible. Shikamaru was asleep; surely he wouldn't even notice. His hand trembling, Neji reached out and placed his palm on the smooth brown skin of Shikamaru's back. Shikamaru's skin was warm; Neji let his palm slide down Shikamaru's spine.

Shikamaru stirred sleepily. "Hm?" he mumbled groggily.

Neji pulled his hand back as if he had been burned. "Ahh…there was…a bug on your back."

###

Shikamaru sent up a silent prayer of thanks to the nameless bug that had prompted Neji to touch him. His skin still tingled where Neji's fingers had brushed against it. It took him a while to fall back to sleep, though he tried to make his breathing even. He never wanted Neji to know how much a simple touch affected him.

For the hundredth time he reminded himself that Neji was not his Pet; that Neji had been drunk and lonely when he asked Shikamaru to kiss him; that he liked girls.

Tuesday came and went without a mission. As did the following Tuesday. It was not until the Friday of that week that Asuma beckoned Shikamaru and Neji over.

Shikamaru had one thought, Please, not another damn tournament. Then Asuma said the words they had been waiting for.

"I have a mission for the two of you."

They looked at each other in excited anticipation. Shikamaru found his voice. "Just us?"

"Yeah…only two people were needed. Ino and Chouji will be doing something else. Sabaku Kankuro will be leading this one. You'll accompany him to some of the smaller villages nearby to see if we can flush out Akatsuki. We think they're still in the area."

Kankuro. This was not quite what Shikamaru had hoped for. Kankuro and Neji had been prickly toward each other in their one encounter, and Kankuro liked to bait people and play pranks, neither of which was likely to endear him to Neji.

Still, it was a mission, and a mission which sounded like it might involve more strategy and less tragedy than his last one.

"You leave tomorrow morning," Asuma said. "So I'm giving you the rest of the day off to get your supplies and get ready."

As he and Neji headed for the market, Shikamaru was already compiling a mental list of what they would need. "A sleeping bag for you, and some plain clothes to blend in if we go undercover. That's one reason why Kankuro wears that makeup and getup – when he takes it off, he's a very ordinary-looking guy."

"One reason? What are the others?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "He's just eccentric. We'll need to get you a sword. Food rations –"

"Nothing gross."

"Scorpion is traditional."

"I'd rather eat a cactus."

At the market, they split up to save time, each taking half the list. Shikamaru made his purchases, methodically checking off every contingency in his head. Looking around, he spotted Neji several yards away, buying dried fruit from a vendor.

Shikamaru watched Neji walking through the square, moving with his usual grace and quickness. The sun had turned his skin a warm golden color. His long hair was gathered up in a high ponytail, and he wore the usual Suna attire of shorts and a light shirt with mesh sleeves. Sunglasses hid his distinctive eyes, so that he blended in. An old woman, stooped over and moving slowly under the weight of a heavy basket, approached him and he instantly bowed and took the basket to carry for her.

It hit Shikamaru like a bolt of blinding light, like suddenly finding the answer to a thorny problem and seeing all the pieces fall into place, like the rush of rain that takes your breath away.

He was in love with Neji.

He felt light-headed, nearly euphoric. He wished he could simply stare at Neji all day; everything Neji said and did seemed all at once magical to him.

The first time you really fall in love, it's amazing. He remembered Ino and Sakura saying that, and Asuma had smiled and nodded knowingly. Shikamaru had thought it was all romantic ridiculousness, but now to his astonishment he understood exactly what they meant.

In the next instant he wondered what the hell was wrong with him. In six short months, Neji would be gone forever, and Shikamaru would be the one to bring it about. Because he had made a promise. A promise he intended to keep.

He wondered if Neji would be able to tell. He was so observant and could generally read people very well. He watched Neji walking away with the old woman, shortening his stride so that his steps matched hers.

###

Neji followed the old woman as she hobbled away from the market, moving slowly so that she could keep up with him. They made their laborious way along dusty side streets and into a more deserted area, finally stopping at an area between two large rocks where there was a small dark space.

"You live in a cave, grandmother?"

She turned from him, lifted back the shawl that covered her head, and pulled something from her face. Then she straightened up and faced him. Neji drew in a sharp breath of shock. Before him now stood a young man, solidly muscled, with long dark hair and distinctive reddish eyes.

Neji let the basket fall to the ground. His hands were shaking. He knew very well who this was.

"Uchiha Itachi."

###

A.N.: Yes, this was kind of a cliffie…sorry *mwahahaha!* I do promise I will try to get the next chapter up more quickly this time so you won't be hanging too long. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought!