HEY GUYS AND GIRLS. THIS STORY HAS BEEN ONE WEIRD ROLLERCOASTER BUT I FEEL LIKE IT IS FAR FROM OVER BUT SO IS LIFE. IF YOU THINK THAT LIFE IS FINALLY WORTH LIVING THEN YOU MUST BE STUCK IN MADARA'S JUTSU (MY ADVICE: STAY THERE, LIFE SUCKS). THIS CHAPTER IS ANOTHER PART ON THIS STUPID ROLLERCOASTER SO WE MIGHT REACH A HIGHER POINT OR WE MIGHT DROP LIKE ROCK, HELL, WE MIGHT EVEN TAKE A TURN AND END UP SOMEWHERE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. LET'S FIND OUT.
HAPPY READING:)
"This place doesn't look like it's under attack." Kiba said once the group reached the peaceful village in the Earth Nation the next day. It was the perfect layout for the group of bandits; minimum ninja presence, minimum defence, high quality structures, fertile land.
"That's good. It means that we made it here before they did." He felt relieved that they did. Now the village actually stood a chance and they had a better chance of completing the mission without any hiccups. Somehow he still had this nagging feeling that his luck had run out and it was just waiting for the worst possible moment to tell him.
"What do we do now?" He knew that Ino was waiting to hear that they could go find a place to rest or to eat but their mission only just began.
"Now we scout the area." You couldn't be too ready right?
"Seriously Shikamaru?" Naruto was definitely as hopeful as Ino was.
"Stop complaining. It's a small village, shouldn't take us long."
"Yeah idiot. We are here to work so stop complaining." Kiba literally used any opportunity to attack Naruto. There rivalry was something else. He was definitely the rival Naruto looked for.
"Hey, I am still in charge here so no fighting until the mission is over." Shikamaru's usually calm character snapped and put his foot down. They needed an authority figure and Shikamaru didn't want to give the Tsuchikage more of a reason to doubt them.
"We will split into four teams and thoroughly search the village making sure that none of the bandits scout's are here. If you do encounter the enemy then force them out of the village then take them down. Meet in the middle of the village when you're finished. The four teams are Naruto and Kiba, Sakura and Ino, Shino and Hinata, Choji and myself. Let's get to work."
Each pair took off down different paths down the rather luscious village. This was one of the only places in the Earth Nation that had land fertile enough to grow crops. They probably transported the food that grew here to Iwagakure which is why this village prospered so much. Most of the Earth Nation was covered in rocky plains and mountain ranges so having a village like this will definitely prosper but the only problem was that there was not a lot of protection for the village.
"What are you thinking about Shikamaru?" Choji brought his best friend back to reality. He could always count on him to do that.
"The pro's and con's about having a village like this in a nation like this." There was no point in lying to Choji. It was almost like Choji got an alert whenever he knew Shikamaru was lying. He hated his friend for that but it was comforting to know that no matter what, he could always be real with Choji.
"Is there something more about this mission than we know about?" Choji definitely wasn't holding back to the questions right now.
"I will tell you guys everything that I know later. I have to go over the plan with you as well now that I know what we're dealing with."
"Anything we should worry about?"
"Nothing more than usual. There are just more things we have to account for now. This is such a drag. I forgot how irritating a mission could be."
"At least everyone has faith in your ability to lead. We will follow your instructions as best as we can."
"Thanks Cho. Let's focus on the mission now."
"Anyone find anything unusual?" Shikamaru asked them when they met up again.
"Everything seemed normal; Akamaru and I didn't smell anything weird as well." Akamaru gave an approving bark to support Kiba.
"I didn't see anything unusual with my byakugan as well." Hinata reported.
"There's nothing unusual in this town but there is something weird going on south-west of this town's position." Shino's report immediately had all of them turning to that direction. Obviously the only thing they saw were houses that looked similar to the ones in Sunagakure but with less sand covering it.
"My byakugan can't see that far." Shikamaru wasn't expecting Hinata to be able to see that far since he knew the distance Shino could communicate with his bugs. He wouldn't be surprised if the Aburame could communicate with his bugs in a different nation. Akamaru's bark immediately grabbed their attention.
"You smell it too, don't you Akamaru?" Kiba told his huge companion. Shikamaru had to admit, Akamaru scared him. The cute, small mutt grew into a ferocious and cunning ninja (even if he was an animal).
"Someone is definitely making a fire in that direction. It's very far out though." Kiba confirmed Shino's report.
"Great. That rules one problem out at least." He let out a grateful sigh.
"What are you talking about Shikamaru?" Naruto was definitely confused.
"Shino and Kiba, can you keep track of the activities there and notify me of any changes please?" Shikamaru asked them ignoring Naruto's question. Both ninja nodded in approval at their leader's request.
"Let's go get something to eat then find a place to sleep before I explain the plan."
It took half an hour deciding on a meal then another half an hour choosing a place to rest before they all finally came to a conclusion and found their way to their chosen destination. The sun was already burning the clouds as it finished its shift for the day. There weren't any street lights in the village but the village was lit well enough with candles and lanterns so there was enough visibility. The villagers were all making their way home or going to a few places in the village that was still open for business.
"So what's the plan Shikamaru?" Naruto asked as he ate his ramen that evening in the lounge area of the apartment they chose. It was furnished a lot like Sakura's apartment except that her apartment was more... homely. It just felt like somewhere he wanted to return to. She was someone he wanted to return to. This place was just another dull place that would house him for a night.
"Hello? Earth to Shikamaru. Why are you ignoring me?"
"Sorry about that Naruto, I was just lost in my own thoughts for a moment." Shikamaru took a bite of the less than flavourful dango he got. He didn't like eating heavy foods on a mission. He didn't like eating anything tasty on a mission really. He liked to indulge in the tasteless facts of the mission overall. It helped him focus.
"We got here before the bandits did which means that Kakashi-sensei was right and the bandits stopped for more supplies and reinforcements. The good news is that we can save the village by taking the fight to them."
"What's the bad news?" He could tell that Sakura was being assertive and was focused on the mission.
"The bad news is that they will have the advantage geographically. In terms of strength, we have the advantage." He hoped that last part didn't go to their head.
"So we will just go to them and make them pay for what they did." Naruto was clearly motivated and Shikamaru understood why. Naruto's dream was to be hokage and that meant that he needed to protect everyone in the Fire Nation so if a group of bandits, like the one they were after, attacked and killed innocent people in the Fire Nation then he definitely wasn't going to stop until he stopped every last one of them.
"Don't do what you normally do and try to take them all on yourself idiot." He didn't know if Kiba was trying to start another battle with his blonde rival or if he was actually concerned about Naruto's well being.
"Who are you calling an idiot, dog boy?" Naruto didn't see the concern part about Kiba's comment. Maybe it was because of the 'idiot' part.
"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed. "You two, shut it so that I can tell you the plan."
"Sorry Shikamaru." He was surprised that both of them apologised. They really did see him as the leader.
"We will leave here at dawn tomorrow morning and head towards them. We will wait until Hinata is in range to use her byakugan to see where they are exactly. Ino, Choji and I will launch the first attack on the main group and take out as many as we can. They will most likely break up in a couple of groups. Naruto and Kiba will take the group on the left while Sakura and Hinata take the group on the right. Shino will cover the rear. I need you to tag anyone who manages to get behind us and take them out Shino, you're our last line of defence." He turned to Shino and the bug expert nodded in agreement.
"If then all of you come back to Ino, Choji and I and we will chase them down together. We will be blocking off three of their routes so the only place they can go is back. Our last resort will be to chase them through the Land of Birds and back to the Suna desert. Naruto and Kiba, when you are finished taking care of your group then come back and support Ino, Choji and I. That goes the same for the girls as well. If anyone is injured then bring them back to the three of us and Ino will take care of you as best she can while Sakura is busy with her task. The land in that direction is basically rough mountain ranges so it will be filled with crevices and caves so be vigilant and careful at all times. Any mission we can walk away from is a mission we can be proud of. Everyone got that?"
"Yes sir." He didn't expect them to call him 'sir' or anything other than Shikamaru but that was probably the most acceptable response.
"There's one more thing. The bandits usually attack at night. I doubt they will attack tonight but we need to prepare for that. I need teams of two to stay up and keep watch throughout the night. We will take it in one and a half hour shifts starting now. The first team will be Naruto and Choji followed by Shino and Kiba, Hinata and myself then Sakura and Ino." Shikamaru announced.
"Why would you put Kiba and I together? Both of us can find the enemy and will notice if they come closer to the village." Shino's intelligence was never to be underestimated. He was one of the top students in the academy and made it through to the final round of his first chunin exams so he was a great ninja overall. If Shino had the chance to fight in the final round of that chunin exams, Shikamaru was sure that the Aburame would've graduated alongside him.
"Your shift will be the one that is most likely to encounter the bandit's attack if they do attack. You guys will be able to confirm it easier and notify the rest of us quicker. That goes for everyone else as well. If you encounter the enemy, you need to notify the rest of us first before you attempt to stop them." Shikamaru could see that Shino understood what Shikamaru's plan was. The two of them seemed to get along well. They didn't spend a lot of time together but the time they did spend together was usually fruitful and intellectually thrilling.
"Come on Naruto, let's go." Choji stood up, eating his second bowl of ramen already. There was another two packets of ramen which he knew Choji was going to go through before his shift with Naruto ended. He didn't mind that. Choji was nothing if not dependable so he trusted Choji to do his job to the best of his ability even if he was eating.
"The rest of us should get some rest. Ino, Sakura and Hinata can take the bedroom. The guys will take the lounge." Shikamaru instructed them.
Naruto and Choji left the apartment still eating their ramen leaving the rest of them in the lounge to finish their food before they went to sleep. The girls went to go settle themselves in on the bed in their room. There were three long couches thankfully so Shino, Kiba and Shikamaru each took one. Akamaru decided to lay on the carpet next to Kiba's couch still chewing a bone from the huge piece of meat one of the villagers were grateful enough to give him.
Shikamaru found himself looking up at the uninteresting ceiling and getting lost in his own thoughts again. He was nervous. Somehow this felt like it was going to be different and that scared him. He didn't feel this anxious when he went up against Hidan and Kakuzu. Maybe it was because he had Asuma the first time and Kakashi the next time but this was new. Maybe it was because this time he was leading a mission by himself but that couldn't be the case. He lead the whole fourth company in the war when Gaara wasn't able to so this shouldn't be easier, yet it felt much more difficult. Why did he have this bad feeling? He decided to try and ignore it as best as he could he needed to rest before it was his shift.
"Shikamaru." He heard Kiba's voice and immediately woke up. He could hear Akamaru's low, menacing growls in the room so Shikamaru knew that it was bad news.
"What happened?" Shikamaru noticed that the Inuzuka didn't wake up Naruto or Choji who were sleeping on the couches that he and Shino occupied before.
"Four men broke away from the group of bandits and are in the village." Kiba informed him as they stood up and made their way to the door where Akamaru and Shino were standing.
"They are probably scouting the village for their attack tomorrow night." So that's how they scouted the villages. They would do it at night while the villagers slept and the Iwa ninja were only around during the day to facilitate the transportation of the goods between this village and Iwagakure so there was no ninja to take them out.
"What's the plan Shikamaru?" He could see that Kiba was more than ready to attack them.
"Shino, can you put one of your bugs on each of them and track them?" Shikamaru really was asking a lot of the Aburame this mission but he knew that Shino could do it.
"Already did." Shino really was on the same wavelength as Shikamaru.
"I managed to mark their distinct smells as well so we will know when they leave." Kiba added.
"Good. We need to do a sweep of the village when they go but until then, stay inside and don't let them see us." They nodded in agreement. Kiba managed to calm Akamaru down and they sat next to the door ready to launch an attack if anyone entered the apartment. Shino stood next to a window to try and see if he can see anything odd about the men. Shikamaru took a position behind the couch he was sleeping on. The moon provided enough light for him to cast his jutsu which he was prepared to use on anyone who stepped through the door.
Everything was eerily quiet. No one made a sound beside the occasional low growl from Akamaru that was immediately silenced by Kiba. One of the men walked past the apartment they were using and immediately sky rocketing Shikamaru's heart rate. He was more afraid that Akamaru was going to burst through the door and tear the bandit to pieces than the bandit entering the apartment and ruining his plan. Fortunately for them, the bandit continued walking and didn't look back. He took a momentary sigh of relief before focusing again.
"They're gone." Kiba announced after what felt like an hour. The three ninja immediately stood up and exited the small building.
"Notice anything weird about the guy Shino?" Shikamaru asked him.
"He wasn't wearing a forehead protector and he didn't wear any clothing distinct to a particular village. He had a kunai in his hand and a ninja pouch around his waist. He might not be a ninja but he had to have had some training." Shino reported. A thorough report, if he might add.
"This really is just one huge random group of thieves." Shikamaru concluded. "Let's go sweep the village. Akamaru and Kiba, I need you to sniff out any traps or bombs they might have planted in the village."
"Okay. Akamaru, it's our time to shine." His companion gave a soft bark of agreement then began taking the lead with his best friend.
They searched the entire village for anything that the bandits might have left behind but they didn't find anything. The village was small enough for them to do it quickly but they decided to do it again just to be sure. They kept tabs on how far out the four bandits were from the village so that they could make sure that they could hide if the four bandits returned. Once they were finished, they returned to the apartment. Shikamaru saw that Naruto was lying and sleeping on the carpet but from the position he was lying in, he probably fell off the couch. Kiba took the couch Shikamaru was using and Akamaru settled on the carpet next to him again while Shino decided to take Naruto's couch.
Shikamaru made his way into the bedroom where the girls were lying peacefully on the queen-sized bed. Ino was lying in the middle with Sakura and Hinata on either side of her. Typical Ino, always wanting to be the centre of attention one way or the other. He quietly made his way to Hinata's side and put his hand on her shoulder then gently gave it a squeeze slowly waking the Hyuga heiress up. He signalled to her to stay silent so that she didn't wake the other two kunoichi then led her out of the room and out of the apartment.
"Let's sit on the roof, we can get a better view of the village from there." Shikamaru suggested and Hinata nodded her head in agreement. The two ninja leapt onto the stone roof then settled themselves onto it and began their watch.
"Shi-Shikamaru." Hinata nervously called him. It irritated him him when she would stutter like that but he should've been used to it. For as long as he had known the byakugan user, she had always had her nervous stutter.
"What's on you mind Hinata?" He tried asking her in a comforting tone in order to soothe her nervousness. She had no need to be afraid of Shikamaru. Hell, he should be the one that was afraid of her. Her byakugan was as lethal as her twin lion fists so she was clearly the more powerful one here.
"Do you think Naruto will be able to be hokage one day?" He knew that she supported Naruto 100% but even she had some doubts. It was only natural to doubt so he didn't hold it against her. He doubted his abilities every day so he would be a hypocrite if he confronted her about her doubts.
"If I didn't then do you think I would've fought so hard for him to come with me on this mission?" He didn't mean to attack Hinata with his statement and he hoped that her silence meant that she understood where he was coming from.
"Naruto's goal was always to become the hokage so that he could protect the people of our village even though they hated him when he was younger. He took all that hate and continued smiling and striving to be the best he can be. The people of our village don't deserve his leadership but he is a beacon of hope for the future generations to come and I will be lay down my life if meant that Naruto would become hokage. Neji did the that without a second thought and I would've done the same if I was in his position. Neji didn't just save Naruto, he saved you as well because he knew that Naruto cannot lead alone. Kakashi-sensei and I are laying down the path for him to take but he can't take it alone. He needs you next to him every step of the way."
"Thank you Shikamaru." Hinata had a genuine smile on her face, grateful for Shikamaru's words. He was glad that he could help her. Hinata was nothing but kind and helpful to him so he wanted to help her as much as he could as well.
"I am going to be giving Naruto more work now that I am the Hokage's advisor so he better be up for it because I am not going to allow him to be the hokage until he fully deserves it. Being the hokage is no small feat."
"I know. You're a good person Shikamaru."
"There's no one that can compare to you in that department." Shikamaru let out a small laugh as Hinata smiled. He looked up at the starless sky above him. It felt strange looking up and not seeing a star scattered anywhere in the dark ocean of the universe. It wasn't uncommon in this part of the continent so he didn't think anything of it. At least the moon was still as present as always.
"Hinata, I have a favour to ask you."
"W-What is it Shikamaru?" He knew his sudden remark would startle the kunoichi. She was always on edge for some reason.
"I know you helped Shino with his taijutsu so I was wondering if I could ask for your help as well?" He could see that Hinata was surprised by his question. She knew that his jutsu allowed him to use as little taijutsu as possible so it didn't make sense for him to focus on improving his taijutsu if he didn't need to.
"Um... sure." Hinata agreed.
"Thanks. I need to get in shape again so this is a great way to do it as well." Shikamaru explained. Now it made sense. Kill two birds with one stone.
"Lee is a taijutsu master and Sakura fights hand-to-hand most of the time so why didn't you ask one of them?" Hinata was smart, he couldn't deny that. She wasn't as scared of confrontation as she was before so she was definitely getting more confident about herself.
"Are you doubting your abilities Hinata?" He wasn't going to allow her to get information out of him, well not without taking the fight to her as well.
"No I... I um... just asking a question Shikamaru-san." He knew he had her defeated when she started calling him 'san' again. He managed to persuade Ino to get Hinata to stop using honorifics when addressing her friends since it could be seen as disrespectful when they don't do the same in return. After a couple of years of trying, Ino finally succeeded and Hinata finally stopped but now Shikamaru knew where to hit her where it hurts.
"I know." he tried giving her a comforting smile but she shied away. He knew she wasn't going to come out of her shell now until he gave her a reason to so he had to answer her question.
"Do you honestly think that I could keep up with Lee? I can hardly keep up with Shino in battle and I'm as fast as him." That comment brought a smile to her face. Shino was a lot like Itachi was to Sasuke, except for the 'killing your clan' and 'making your sibling hate you' part. Shino was strong, mysterious and intelligent just like Itachi. Shino would also keep Hinata as safe as he could and try to protect her from the shadows just like Itachi did for Sasuke before he massacred their clan.
"What about Sakura?" Sakura, she was a mysterious ally. He wanted to be more than just allies and friends with her though. He wanted more than just a teacher-student relationship than Hinata was referring to. He wanted all of her but she couldn't give him all of her and he had to accept that.
"Sakura has her job as one of the leaders of the hospital to focus on. She won't has as much time as you might have to train me. I'm the head of the Nara clan and you are set to be the head of the Hyuga clan as well so your father could see view this as a chance to strengthen the relationship between two of the biggest clans in the village." Hinata couldn't argue with his reasoning there. He really did think way ahead of what she was thinking.
"She likes you." This was a new side of Hinata. He never knew her to meddle in anyone's relationship let alone intentionally initiate a conversation about someone else's relationship. The more he spoke to her, the more interesting she became.
"I like her too." He didn't want to risk lying to Hinata and cause any distrust between them especially on a mission. He was also interested to see where this conversation would lead.
"I mean, she likes you in a romantic sense." He didn't know why she was embarrassed to admit that. Her blush grew deeper the more she spoke to him about this. It was as if Ino was using her jutsu to transfer Sakura's consciousness into Hinata's head in order to get his reactions. He wouldn't be surprised if Ino actually did something like that to them already.
"I know. Doesn't change what I said." She smiled. He really was beginning to think Ino was behind this somehow.
"You should ask her out on a date." Her voice was quiet as she said those words. It was almost as if she didn't want to say it.
"Sakura knows how I feel about her and I know how she feels about me but she's keeping something from me and I feel like I can't be in a relationship with someone if they aren't being honest and upfront with me. I don't deserve to be lied to. I can handle the truth. I might not be able to do it right away but I will be able to do it."
"Have you told her why you and Temari broke up?" He could see where Hinata was going with this. He was impressed. She was cunning and smart; a deadly combination.
"No."
"Then by the very nature of what you just explained, you're keeping something from Sakura as well." There it was, her target. He couldn't disagree with her there though. Her logic made sense and he honestly found himself being enchanted by her words.
"She knows what I am hiding, I don't know what she is hiding. There is a difference."
"How do you know that she is hiding anything then?" Damn, Hinata really wasn't holding any punches back. She was throwing him in the deep end.
"She confirmed it when I confronted her about it." Well, at least she didn't deny it.
"Then how do you know that if she reveals a piece of what she is hiding that you won't figure everything else out?"
"The opposite will be true as well then. What if I don't figure it out?" They were at a deadlock now and it was her turn to make a move. He liked this intellectual battle going on between them. It was energizing to say the least.
"You're both hiding things from each other that you're not willing to tell each other yet. Are you really that vain to allow it to come between the potential happiness that being together could create?" Checkmate. He really couldn't come back from that. Hinata completely destroyed every argument that he had planned to use. He didn't expect her to be that confident and straightforward. This was his fault; he will never underestimate the Hyuga Heiress again.
"I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I just wanted to help you a little. You've always supported my relationship with Naruto so I thought I could do the same for you."
"I really appreciate it Hinata. You honestly opened my eyes, thank you." He could tell that Hinata was grateful that she could help him. She never wanted to be a hindrance to anyone, especially not her friends. She was always ready to help her friends no matter what circumstances it might be under.
"It's my pleasure Shikamaru."
"As much as I like talking to you, we are on a mission so we should probably focus for a while." He knew she got the message when she activated her byakugan and scanned the village. He decided to look around as well and hope that the bandits didn't decide to launch an attack at this hour.
"Hinata, it's time for Ino and Sakura." He could see the raven haired girl was a little exhausted so his words definitely brought a relief to her ears. The two of them stood up then gently jumped off the roof and went inside. They hardly made a sound as they made their way to the bedroom. Shikamaru signalled to Hinata to go sleep while he woke Ino and Sakura up. She agreed then climbed under the blanket and quickly went to sleep. She really was exhausted.
He went over to Sakura's side of the bed and gently squeezed her shoulder like he did to wake Hinata up earlier. Her emerald eyes fluttered open as she looked up at the Nara. He signalled for her to be quiet then led her out of the room and out of the building as well.
"Shouldn't we wake Ino up?" Sakura quietly asked him.
"She needs as much rest as she can get since she is going to be doing the most work later. Let's go up to the roof." He jumped onto the roof again and Sakura immediately following him.
"Doesn't really sound like really she knows what she got herself into."
"No one really knows what they get themselves into until it begins."
"Is that supposed to be a jab at me?" He was honestly confused by her remark. They were talking about Ino, right? Why would it be a jab at Sakura?
"I thought we were going to keep it professional on this mission." Oh, now it made sense to him.
"I didn't..."
"I expected better of you Shikamaru. You're supposed to be the leader as well." He felt irritated that she interrupted him and didn't give him a chance to explain. She kept rambling on in front of him then poked his chest for reason. He really should pay attention more attention to her concerns but Hinata's words immediately popped up in his head; was he really going to let this stand in the way of their happiness?
He swiftly cupped her jaw with his rough hands then gently placed his lips on hers. His actions stunned hers but she accepted the kiss. It was one way to shut her up but it reminded him of what happened outside the bar and he didn't want a repeat of that. He agonizingly broke the kiss and dropped his hands but didn't step away from her.
"Troublesome woman, it's disrespectful to interrupt someone." He had his usual bored expression plastered on his face as he spoke which angered the kunoichi in front of him even more.
"If you..." He stopped her with another quick, gentle kiss again. "What the hell Shikamaru?"
"Are you going to let me speak?" His expression went from bored to serious but hers didn't change.
"Fine." She replied as she turned her head to the side but he softly put his hand under her chin and turned her to face him.
"I didn't take any jab at you but I do want to talk about what I said at the bar. I'm sorry that I gave you an ultimatum and I'm sorry that I ran away from you when we were at the cemetery. I know that you want to be with me even if you can't tell me everything and I was too egotistical to accept that you are hiding things from me but everyone has their secrets. Everyone has skeletons they would rather not dig up, myself included, but I don't want that to stay in the way of our happiness anymore. I told you before that I am broken and I know I will never be the same again but if you are with me then you can help me pick up the pieces and turn me into a better man because, honestly, you aren't perfect but you're a much better person that I will ever be. I don't want to be with you because you can make me better but if you will give me a chance then I want to be the one that makes you happy."
Her arms flung around his neck quickly bringing his lips crashing down on hers with an intense hunger they both felt could be satisfied by having their mouths plastered on each others. He gently wrapped his arms around her allowing their bodies to mould into each other. Their kiss wasn't a battle for dominance or an act of pleasure but rather a pure romantic gesture displaying the need for happiness they wanted. Their wordless act answered the unasked question between them. They needed each other and they wanted to make each other happy no matter what they were hiding.