Just as Akamaru's fang pierced the dark fabric of Naruto's wide sleeve, the same moment that the back of his palm connected with the hound's snout, time seemed to slow for Kakashi. He watched as a kunai shot past his nose.
Schunk!
The metal rattled after finding itself lodged into the cracks lining the cave ceiling. Kakashi could only take a breath before the piece of paper that flapped beneath it gave off sparks. The inked characters were swallowed by the zigzagging of the ignited paper as it crumbled into ashy dust. When the small flame reached the top, the paper took on an ethereal glow. Vibrant light streaked out in the darkness of the cave as a piercing shriek reached Kakashi's ears.
His body reacted to the familiar audio cue first; without thinking, his fingers tightened around the grip of his kunai and his knees bent slightly. Only the rushing of the wind filled his eardrums to join his vision as the cave ceiling gave way to the night sky, studded with stars. In his weightlessness, Kakashi could only hope that his comrades escaped from the cave as he watched it flood with smoke. Even from outside in the cool breeze, he could feel the heat that washed over him like a tidal wave.
As his body flipped, he had to react quickly to the view of the still lake water. He braced himself as ripples spread outwards from his soles.
"Long time no see, Kakashi-sensei" smugness seeped into the air to accompany a new voice.
Whirling around, Kakashi was met with the bland expression of a dark-haired figure. As the ringing in his ears slowly subsided, he picked up the sounds of movement next to him and he glanced over to see the, now, completely alert, Sai. His focus was solely on the newest arrival, so it took him an awkward second of scrambling to realise that he was without his tanto.
A gust of wind caught the free-flowing folds of the figure's robe. Puddles of crimson rippled across the ocean of shadows. "It took you a while to get here, Shikamaru" Kakashi managed to smile back, his eyebrows beaming to match the creasing of his mask.
Shikamaru watched the smoke filter out of the cave above, joining the sparse clouds in the sky. To Kakashi, his dark irises flashed with a strange longing. It wasn't until he scanned his surroundings that he noticed that he was without his partner.
"I'm surprised to see you without Temari"
His methodical gaze dropped down to bore into Kakashi. "Well, you weren't the only one who left someone back at the temple"
Frustrated, Sai could only grimace as he switched between the blank stare of Shikamaru and the widening eyes of Kakashi. "Kurenai's worried about you; she came all the way here to get you back"
"Why didn't tell her to stay home and spend her time with Mirai instead of wasting it here?" a hint of annoyance leaked into Shikamaru's tone.
Feeling his nails dig into his gloved palm, Kakashi took a moment to compose himself. "Liste—"
Kakashi was interrupted by a nudge against his arm. Sai gestured upwards, directing Kakashi's focus from Shikamaru to the currently groaning Kiba as he flailed in the air. The jonin's knees creaked under Kiba's weight, but Kakashi managed to stay standing with Kiba now in his arms. Akamaru hit the surface of the water soon after, arching his back to growl back up at the cave.
Breaching the outside's dimness, two curious lights glowed from the entrance. Vibrant shades of fiery orange flickered, clashing against the deep tones of violet that hummed in the clear night. In the lake's surface, these two orbs of colour joined the full moon in the natural mirror.
Steadying Kiba onto his feet, Kakashi was able to jump out of the way as Naruto and Sasuke landed without disturbing the water. The glows around them eventually subsided, unlike the scathing glare that Sasuke shot upon recognising his ally.
"What took you so long to get here, Shikamaru?" Naruto whined.
He simply shrugged in response. "Why haven't you captured the Eight Tails already? You did have a head start"
The three shinobi from the Hidden Leaf could only watch as they didn't dare move in the midst of the tense atmosphere between their former comrades.
"We're close, but when we saw these guys, we just couldn't help ourselves"
Sasuke chimed in. "This loser…" he jabbed his thumb towards Naruto. "… couldn't help himself" he clarified.
Grinning, Naruto turned back to Shikamaru. "Where's Temari? Don't tell me she broke up with you already"
Knowing the answer to Naruto's question, Kakashi decided to step in between his enemies casual conversation. He turned his back to Shikamaru, feeling more confident that he was less likely to attack him than his former pupils. "What do you guys even want with the Eight Tails?"
"The same as you it seems" Sasuke smirked at the crumpling of his mask, giving away the frown underneath.
Seeing their squad leader confident enough to move, Sai and Kiba took up their positions to cover his flanks. Sai faced down Shikamaru who kept his hands hidden inside his billowing sleeves. Kiba, on the other hand, couldn't stop his more animalistic emotions mix into his expression as he stared down the carefree Naruto. At his heel, Akamaru's canines dripped with saliva. With their attention centred on their chosen opponents, Kakashi matched himself opposite Sasuke.
The Uchiha's sense of superiority never faltered and Kakashi had no choice but to put up with it ever since he was a genin under the Copy Ninja's command. His entire image was built on that sensation. The raised chin and clenched jaw joined the impressive height and perfect, dark hair to create the perfect example of the guy that parents warned their daughters about. Only this particular guy, was also one of the most wanted shinobi in all the Five Great Nations and beyond.
Seeing him now, Kakashi was surprised to feel his fist shake and his teeth squeak as they rubbed against each other. He was, unfortunately, wise enough to see the comparisons between the Team 7 that he had led and the Fourth Hokage's team of genin. Himself and Sasuke were opposite sides of the same coin. They were both people who would attain the power they needed through any means necessary. The loss of everyone they considered to be family would always gnaw at their hardened hearts, the only difference between them was that Kakashi had never truly succumbed to his loneliness. He was given enough purpose to continue forwards, where as Sasuke had to look for his in the darkness of grief. Looking back, Kakashi wished that the village would have done more to help the only survivor of the Uchiha's massacre. It was like looking at the version of himself that actually embraced all his worst desires. For Kakashi, it was frustrating that he couldn't stop this rogue shinobi.
His clouded thoughts parted to direct Kakashi's focus to the situation at hand and, more importantly, to the goal of discovering the Akatsuki's plans. Even to him, they didn't make sense. For the Five Great Nations, having each of the tailed beasts under their control would be crucial in order to defeat Naruto and Sasuke. But, why would they be here? Did they know the Five Kage's plans? Or, was it possible that they had predicted this? Shikamaru was smart, but was he really smart enough to calculate that the Hidden Villages would turn to such a radical method?
He risked a peek over his shoulder, a dangerous move but one that his need for answers overpowered his body. He almost groaned from the lack of clues that Shikamaru's expressions gave away. Disappointed in his acceptance of the fact that he wasn't going to get many answers for his innumerable questions, Kakashi switched his objective to figuring out the best strategy to allow Sai to escape to the Hidden Cloud to bring back reinforcements.
One glance to his side told him that it was going to be a pain to coordinate with Kiba and Akamaru who didn't show any evidence of being a trained ninja hound and its user. Taking into account that they would spring into a primal frenzy and charge snout-first towards Naruto, Kakashi resigned himself to the task of occupying the attention of Shikamaru, with his jutsu perfect for entrapping opponents, and Sasuke, who had already left Kakashi in critical condition once before. Two powerful shinobi with a variety of potent jutsu. He shook his head at his negative thoughts. He couldn't believe he was complaining about his opponents having a variety of jutsu when he had countless memories of facing other shinobi as they whined at having to face the Copy Ninja, the man who had copied over a thousand jutsu. He had invented powerful jutsu as well, he shouldn't be wasting his energy overly worrying about other shinobi's jutsu.
His silver irises flashed back at him in the lake.
Other shinobi's jutsu.
An old scene played out in the back of his mind. It was only natural for a reunion with two of his former pupils. Their first real mission, in the Land of Waves, brought back memories of a strong shinobi, rogue like his opponents now. Never breaking the staring contest he was having with his reflection, Kakashi's hands moved of their own accord. He could only watch out the corner of his vision as he formed each hand sign. Before he knew it, over thirty signs were formed. His chakra poured through him, flowing through each of his limbs to mix with the water under his soles.
His ears picked up the small sounds of his comrades stepping away from him as a large radius of water began revolving around him. Looking up, Kakashi impressed to be faced with the head of a mighty creature whose body was entirely compromised of the lake's element. It coiled around him in a reptilian manner.
"Very impressive, Kakashi" Sasuke's hands clapped together slowly.
Even as he tried to play it cool, Kakashi noticed the narrowing of the Uchiha's dark pupils. His gaze was sharp enough to pierce the Copy Ninja's skin. Every hair on the back of his neck stood up on end, accompanying a strange itching. Kakashi recognised the feeling, however. It was a sensation that only occurred when faced with an impressive shinobi, one that provide an impossible challenge. Kakashi thought that it wasn't just him who could sense it. It was thick in the air between him and the tense Sasuke, almost palpable. In his twitching palms, Kakashi watched as sparks flew from Sasuke's slender digits.
With no hesitation, Kakashi focused his chakra. The dragon flew past him, shooting towards Sasuke. The rest of its body followed its jaw, uncoiling around Kakashi, whipping its tail and almost striking Kiba and Sai as it went by. His powerful Water Dragon jutsu attacked Sasuke with the entire force of the lake.
Almost audibly, Sasuke smirked.
A brilliant tendril of lightning crackled through the jutsu's serpentine form. Rays of electricity refracted through the clear liquid, filling the air with a rainbow of colours. It seemed to freeze in mid-air, just before Sasuke's smug face.
And then, the draconic figure exploded into cloud of mist that quickly enveloped everyone inside before Kakashi could blink. Once his visibility was impeded, Kakashi immediately spun to fire a kunai at the position he had last seen Shikamaru in. Imagining that it didn't cause any damage despite his trained accuracy, Kakashi could only hope that Sai and Kiba were taking advantage of his improvised distraction.
His prayers were answered by a flapping of giant wings. A flutter of wings buffeted the shinobi with the sound of thunderclaps. The vapour dispersed under their force, revealing Sai sat atop his animated artwork as it shot into the sky. Under his mask, Kakashi let a grin stretch his hidden lips. With reinforcements from the Hidden Cloud and the Raikage, they might stand a chance.
His smoky hair blew across his face after a new torrent of wind washed over the lake. The sharp gust threatened to rip his jacket. Something about it was oddly familiar. His main reasoning for his confusion was how unnatural the element seemed.
Before Kakashi realised why, it was too late. The night seemed to darken, drawing everyone's attention to the main light source. Shocked, Kakashi witnessed the moon being eclipsed and replaced by three more. Flying towards it, Sai jerked his painted bird to a halt. Each man was still, mesmerised by the floating trio.
Even when they folded in on each other, Sai froze as a falling Temari swung her fan at him. The heavy metal slammed against his ribs with a violent cracking sound. His groan filled the air as he was batted of his steed. He dropped like a rock, with Temari managing to control her descent.
Shikamaru couldn't help but watch on with a smile. As he witnessed Temari in all her terrifying glory, he blanked. Her dazzling teeth caught the stray beams of starlight and lighting her regal features like a spotlight. He just couldn't truly believe that he was with her.
She landed next to him, immediately going shoulder-to-shoulder. Sai, on the other hand, managed to infuse enough chakra to land comfortably against the water's surface. Kakashi stepped over to help him whilst Kiba chose to cover their rear against Naruto and Sasuke with the bold, but obvious, decision to lunge at the jinchuriki. Akamaru followed suit, leaving Kakashi and Sai with no choice but to act.
Placing a small bit of trust in Shikamaru, Kakashi charged at Sasuke. Firing off a few kunai, he lowered his gaze, using Guy's technique against the Sharingan. Easily deflecting the projectiles with his hilt, Sasuke drew his sword from behind him, sweeping it towards his former teacher. They clashed with many battles' worth of experience, moving to gain the advantage on the other. With the shorter weapon, Kakashi was forced into a more defensive stance, stuck trying to create an opening using a mixture of agile dodges and well-timed parries.
Only able to catch a glimpse of the bottom half of his opponent's face, Kakashi's efforts doubled in an attempt to wipe off Sasuke's amused smile. Keeping him at sword point, Sasuke sliced at the Copy Ninja with the grace of a samurai. He enjoyed making Kakashi dance in order to avoid the bloody loss of his limbs.
Disengaging, Kakashi attached an explosive tag to his kunai before it shot towards the Uchiha. It exploded just after Sasuke had swatted it out of the air. His failed attack did succeed in giving him another blob of smoke to use as cover for his next move. Streaks of neon violet charged the still air in his empty palm. Keeping his eyes averted, Kakashi rushed at Sasuke, aiming for where his heart would be.
Smoothly, Sasuke sidestepped, sheathing his sword to free his hands. He formed hand signs that were all too familiar for the watching Kakashi. After all, he did invent the jutsu that Sasuke conjured into his palm. Electric chirping filled the air as jagged blades of indigo made the hairs on the back of Kakashi's neck stand on end. Rushing at each other with charged hands, Kakashi and Sasuke became increasingly more reckless, yet careful, with their attacks, knowing full well that one mistake could prove fatal with either of their lightning jutsu.
Above them, the sky became fogged with darkened clouds as the two shinobi waged a stormy battle of thunderous clashes. Each attack echoed throughout the cliffs surrounding the lakes, threatening to shatter the rocks. With every strike, the still water evaporated into ripples of crackling vapour. The thunderstorm drowned out all the noise of the battle behind him.
Shikamaru ducked behind Temari as she defended the two of them against the onslaught of animated, inked birds. Their wings were splattered against the torrents of razor winds from her Tessen fan. Peeking over her shoulder, Shikamaru prepared for another round with the artistic shinobi. Drops of oily ink splotched against the water's translucent surface. His brush blurred over his scroll. The snarl on his face was multiplied as a pride of lions sprouted from the page infused with chakra. Shikamaru whispered to Temari before firing off a few kunai. They retreated towards the islands of the lake, looking for any good spots to lay an ambush.
The first stage of their plan proved to be a success. Forgetting about his comrades, Sai followed them into the labyrinth that was the extensive archipelago of rock formations dotted all over the lake. Weaving through island after island, Temari pointed out two particularly tall spires of rock, jutting out from the water like two lighthouses across the bay from each other. They split off, climbing their chosen pillar as fast as possible. As Shikamaru went, he left kunai jutting into the rock, hiding the explosive tags that were tied to the ends.
It seemed as if they had managed to lose Sai through their movements, leaving their trap empty for the time being. It wasn't until Shikamaru saw a set of dark shapes slithering over the water did he come to the conclusion that Sai was close by.
Remembering how his animated snakes were used, Shikamaru focused. Using the long shadows casted onto the lake by the luminous moon, the Nara shinobi expanded the darkness into a plethora of shadowy lines. They zigzagged at bizarre angles as they snuck up on the inked reptiles. It was too late for the snakes when they crossed into the shadows, abyssal tentacles wrapping around them in an instant and squeezing the small amount of life they had out of them. A few seconds after they exploded into puddles of ink, their creator rushed into the clearing after them.
Sai was cautious, however, avoiding the swathes of shadows. When he had made it far enough, and seeing his awareness of Shikamaru's jutsu, Temari sprung the ambush. Dropping off the top of her spire, Temari swung her fan in a wide arc, sending a gust of razor winds towards Sai. He heard the rush of wind above him, but his late dodge didn't leave him unscathed. Temari never stopped, batting at him as soon as her soles landed on the water. A barrage of clubbed attacks followed, threatening to take off Sai's head if he wasn't careful.
Hoping to help Temari, Shikamaru laced his fingers together, preparing to infuse his chakra. He was just about to use the shadows to aid Temari, when a bandaged arm wrapped around his neck. As much as he wished his lazy nature kept him calm, being surprised from behind spurred his shinobi instinct into action.
Slipping his knife from his billowing sleeve, Shikamaru whipped around, pinning his assailant to the rock. With the serrated steel grazing their skin, Shikamaru glared at the mesmerising rubies that stared back at him wide-eyed. A frightened squeak snapped Shikamaru out of his tunnel vision.
"Kurenai?"
Her trembling lip told all. The blade in his hand faltered and his forearm jammed against her throat softened. "I-I'm sorry" he looked down, breathing heavily.
A soft palm raised his chin. She caressed his cheek tenderly, her nails raking smoothly of his skin. She smiled, even as a tear accompanied a bloody trail down her cheek, smudging it against her makeup.
Withdrawing his arm, he brushed off her hand. "You shouldn't be here" he said, worried about Naruto or Sasuke finding her. When he began to turn, Shikamaru stopped when he noticed a mark where her neck met her shoulder. He looked closer, his body moving in tandem with his thoughts, getting uncomfortably close to her.
Inspecting it, Shikamaru became confused at the purple patch's appearance. The colouration was almost the same as that of a grape's, Shikamaru concluded that the bruise was originating from a rounded pattern of indents forming a small ring in the centre.
Even if the bruise matched the large amount of skin that was discoloured just below her chin, covering her Adam's apple as it wrapped around her neck.
Kurenai leaned back. "Shikamaru?" she said. Noticing the location of his gaze, she tried to wave him off. "It's rude to stare" she pouted, brushing a lock of her unkempt hair over her ear. He didn't react, holding a staring contest with her bruises.
"What happened? Who did this to you?"
Kurenai bit her lip, turning away and covering the bruise with her dainty hand. She couldn't bear to tell him the truth. The scene of Shikamaru's partner toying with her after he left. Without seeing them together all that much, Kurenai could sense the trust they shared. She had felt that same level of trust before, a long time ago, so she didn't want to hurt Shikamaru by distorting their relationship.
Shikamaru processed his thoughts, looking through all the facts. "That's a bite, isn't it? Who bit you?" she flinched under his interrogation. "Don't tell me…" he grasped her wrist, pulling her hand away from her neck. "… Did Kiba do this to you?"
Crack!
Stunned, Shikamaru found himself staring down at the battle ensuing down below. Temari exchanged blows with Sai, keeping her distance. Due to the proficiency of her long-ranged jutsu, Temari had no trouble dealing with the safari of animated paintings that were sent to attack her as well as riposting with her razor-sharp gales. Watching her closely, Shikamaru could tell that there was something distracting her slightly. Without a doubt, he knew it was the fact of his absence that scratched at her mind. He needed to help her, but the stinging of his cheek froze him in place.
"Don't you dare blame Kiba for what happened to me!" a seething tone bled through the cracked voice that was once mature and composed.
He turned back to Kurenai, touching the heated patch of skin on his cheek. His heart ached when he witnessed her teary eyes, fractured, give in to her fury. The bandages around her hand threatened to loosen after slapping him. One of her perfectly manicured nails had chipped against his tougher flesh. But she didn't seem to notice. Instead, her attention was solely focused on Shikamaru, despite the echoes of battle that shook the entire lake.
"You don't get to blame Kiba for hurting me because, unlike you, he didn't abandon Mirai and I!" she jabbed her index in his face, nearly poking out his eye.
"Wha—"
He was cut off by her blurry glare. "No, for someone so smart, you really are stupid, you know that?" Shikamaru backed away, taken aback. "Who do you think has been taking care of us whilst you're who knows where, doing who knows what?" she continued berating him.
"So, who—" he tried to get a word in, but Kurenai wasn't going to let that happen.
She didn't need to hear all his words to understand the gist of his halted sentence. "Your monster of a girlfriend did this to me!" she pointed, first at the marks on her neck then down at the battle below.
The Sand Kunoichi fought ferociously, a cruel smirk plastered on her face. He knew of her infamous moniker, but he couldn't understand why she would something like that to Kurenai. But, on the other hand, he had no reason to not believe Kurenai.
His head dropped. "I'm… sorry" he mumbled.
Kurenai stared at him. He wouldn't meet her gaze, only offering darting glances towards her balled fists and drooping his shoulders in response. She took a deep breath, then another. "No, it's fine but it's just… that Mirai really misses her big brother" she released the tension in her hands.
"Is she okay?"
Kurenai was surprised by his genuine tone. "I-I don't know. Kiba's doing his best but… with everything that's happened, I'm more worried about him right now. I'm scared that he's falling into this dark place, all he does is train these days or watching over us" she waved her hands in front of her. "But Mirai just wants to see you again!"
"You know that can't happen, Kurenai" he sighed. "It's not safe"
Confusingly, a smile spread across her scarlet lips. "I knew it" Shikamaru's breath hitched as his almond eyes followed fresh teardrop that rolled down her dimpled cheek. "You still care! You're still keeping your promise!" her hand returned to his face, stroking his jaw. His fingers drumming against his thigh gave away his thoughts. Kurenai grabbed him by the shoulders. "Please, just come back to the village once, to see Mirai!" she begged.
"I can't. You know I'm in the Bingo Book; they'll be looking for me as soon as I come within a few miles outside of Konoha"
Desperate, Kurenai searched for an idea, anything, even if it was forbidden. Her imagination took over, letting a fantastical dream play out. Contently, she watched Mirai play in a field of tulips. She rested on a quilted blanket, snuggling into the shoulders of her partner and ignoring the gentle puffs of ashy smoke that filtered into her nostrils. She looked up to meet his eyes. The soft rays of sunlight seemed to be absorbed by a head of spiky raven locks. Kurenai couldn't grasp the identity of her companion, but she knew that what she felt was true. Warmth shrouded her like armour, chilling the bones of any who would hurt her or her daughter. She knew that Mirai felt the same, so she didn't mind who it was, as long as this sensation never ended.
Forbidden.
"The forest!" Kurenai exclaimed, her eyes flicking with a bright light.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Kurenai gripped his arms tightly. "The Nara Clan Forest! You can meet us in there, and we won't be seen" she giggled excitedly.
He seemed to ponder the idea for a moment, infected by her giddiness. But, as always, he managed to find a way to ruin the mood. "You'd need permission to enter, and it might be suspicious if you suddenly ask now"
Shikamaru gulped when he saw her lips take a turn south. "Oh… yeah, you're right… I'm sorry" her frown gave away her disappointment.
Seeing it, Shikamaru felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. It was only fleeting, yet what worried him was that it seemed so familiar. Almost like his mother was scolding him. An idea clawed its way to the forefront of his mind.
"But…" Kurenai met his gaze, hopeful. "… if you ask my mom, I'm sure she'd give you permission, especially if you tell her that I gave you my permission" he explained.
Before he could react, Kurenai wrapped her bandaged arms around his neck. Leaning in close, she whispered, her voice almost getting lost in the sounds of battle all around them. "Thank you" she pecked on his raw patch of skin with her plush lips.
For few moments, they stood there, mesmerised by what she had just done.
She tried to compose herself, as the mature shinobi out of the two of them. "I—"
Aaaarrrrgggghh!
A primal shriek tore through the lake. They both spun towards where it originated from, Shikamaru recognised it as near the cave entrance. However, it was Kurenai who seemed to know the voice.
"Kiba!" she took off, sprinting towards it.
A/N- Hey guys! I hope you liked this chapter. It is a little focused on Kurenai and Shikamaru but I kind of like how their dialogue turned out. As always, feel free to let me know your thoughts and I'll see you next time.
Yours truly,
Signing off