A/N: A long, long, chapter, but the good news is no cliffhanger! FYI, this happens the next morning after Chapter 21.
Japanese fun: Ikuzuo 'Let's go!'; Bakana 'Impossible or Absurd'; Soo desu ne 'It's true.'; Genki 'healthy'
Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine
Chapter 22 – Damage
Shikamaru woke up slowly let to his eyes ease into their job of seeing as he felt the soft white luminance of sunrise play over bed and blanket. The warm pressure of Ino laid curled in his arms. Looking down he studied for a while like an artist with his canvas. With her back to his chest he felt the slow and steady crest and fall her body made while breathing in rythym with his.
She was exquisite.
"I love you so much," he thought, contemplating her sleeping form.
He loved the curve of her neck, the smell of her hair and the way it would tickle him. He loved the little murmuring sound she made when she was asleep, the way she scrunched her nose and the impish smile she wore when her dreams got to the best part. He loved the way she hogged the covers, the one big freckle she had on her right shoulder and the way she would always complain about it. he loved her eyes, colored like the clear sky, her rosy, soft lips and the way she would pout with them.
"I'm so pathetic," he chided himself coming out of his reverie. Sometime ago watching Ino sleeping had ranked higher than clouds as one of his favorite subjects. If she knew he did this she'd call him a big freak. That was ok, he loved that about her too.
Shikamaru couldn't dally. He had places to be this morning as his hiatus from missions was at an end. He crept carefully out of bed and extricated his arm gently from under his sleeping lover. Ino, feeling his warmth gone, shivered a little as he left then curled deeper under the sheets.
"Shika…" she mumbled as her hand slid over to touch where he had been. He worried for a second that she might wake up, but she remained in her dreams after that one gesture.
He felt bad leaving like this, but he wanted her to rest. Ino had been shaken up about something yesterday and strangely wouldn't tell him anything about it. The most disturbing part was how the entire evening she kept asking him to hold her. It was as if she needed comfort every other moment.
"I'm not complaining," he thought, "but that's not like her at all." Ino was a strong-willed, independent woman. She was always grading papers or finishing lesson plans or doing chores, all normally when he would rather they just fool around in bed. "Last night though…"he wondered, "…maybe I can grab Iruka today to ask him happened." He supposed he could ask Sasuke too, but he preferred not. "I still hate that guy," swore silently.
Ever since his first mission to get him back from Orochimaru had failed and his team had almost died Shikamaru held a silent grudge against Sasuke that he didn't admit to anyone, especially Ino. Hearing her defend Sasuke, her childhood crush, was more than Shikamaru could take honestly. It was probably childish of him, but he still saw Sasuke as his rival for Ino's affection. "Well, at least I don't pretend I'm not a jealous bastard," he thought amusingly.
It suddenly occurred to Shikamaru that he hadn't done thing besides get out of bed yet.
Moving silently and swiftly the young chuunin jumped in and out of his cramped bathroom and had himself ready to depart in no time flat. As far as Shikamaru was concerned lazy and slow were completely different states of being. 'Lazy' had classy, independent ring to it, while the word 'slow' ran a little too close to the word 'stupid' in his book.
He watched Ino sleep for just a little more and then exited his apartment with a jutsu. Moving neither fast nor slow he walked over to the training field where he knew at least two members of his team would be. Sakura had only gotten discharged from the hospital only two days ago, but she had Hinata up at the crack of dawn everyday since to train with her. His soft spoken medical ninja was always a good friend and obliged Sakura without complaint. Shikamaru found them right away identical in their movements as they worked steadily through a routine of the Hyuga style.
Shikamaru was amazed. "Only Sakura would try to learn a technique that was made for an enhanced bloodline." She was crazy like that, of course given everything she had learned under Tsunade, maybe it was to be expected. Still he was happy she was on his team. Her intelligence outstripped his own in certain ways and she was a ruthless fighter. Deep down hoped that Tsunade would never select her as one of his opponents if he ever went for the jounin exam.
"Which of course, given my luck, she definitely will be one of them," he deduced sarcastically.
The girls ended and broke out their bottles of water as he reached them.
"Ohayo," he greeted them.
"Ohayo gozaimasu," said Hinata with a smile.
Sakura was still catching her breath. "A little early for you isn't it?" she asked jokingly.
"Maa, a captain has set a good example now and then," he replied with a shrug.
"Oi! What's this!" someone yelled in an accusatory tone.
They all turned to see their final team member running up, her patented hairstyle sporting green ribbons today which matched her sleeveless top to perfection.
Tenten looked suspiciously at all of them. "Is this a secret meeting behind my back?"
Hinata laughed, a small tinkling thing that fit her manner well. "We are as surprised as you," she said.
Shikamaru realized they were all staring as him. "What?" he said, "I get up early occasionally!" This response only earned him looks of disbelief. "Mou! Don't look at me like that!" he protested again, "It happens." A rare blush spread on his cheeks that soon had his all-female squad rolling in stitches.
"Ok, ok!" he said trying to act serious, "Since we're all here we can walk over to the North Gatehouse together to see Tsunade off to Suzurimura for the meeting with the Raikage."
The girls sobered reluctantly and nodded in agreement. Shikamaru's team strolled along at a pace more to his liking. He was left alone to enjoy the cool air of the morning and crystal blue sky filled with all its interesting fluffy clouds. Meanwhile his team enjoyed what he assumed all women did in groups. They talked about everyone who was not there.
"You're looking genki, Sakura, Tenten said as they strolled along keeping their captain's pace, "Looks like you're already running poor Hinata into the ground."
"Soo desu ne," Sakura said, "I'm such a bad friend!"
Hinata looked distressed. "No you're not! I needed to start training again anyway, "she protested.
Sakura and Tenten shared an indulgent smile. Hinata was so easy to tease sometimes it was almost impossible not to.
"Has Naruto started missions again too?" Tenten asked to change the subject.
Hinata looked pensive for a moment and then replied, "I think so. He won't say much. It is very odd for him too. It's almost like he's hiding something."
Sakura's eyebrows raised as she interpreted the meaning behind Hinata's words. Her mild-mannered friend always saw the best in everyone, in fact her term for S-class criminals was "not nice people". For her to even mention that Naruto was acting funny was noteworthy.
"Tell me," the pink haired kunoichi asked, "was he squinting a lot and doing that thing where his upper lip stops moving."
Hinata put a finger to her lips as she thought about it, "Anoo, I think maybe."
Tenten saw Sakura nod at Hinata's verification. "You're good Sakura!"
"No," said Sakura, "I just got really good at knowing when Naruto lies. It's something anyone will pick if they're around him enough."
"You mean he lies all the time!" said Hinata nervously.
"Oh no! gomen Hinata," said Sakura quickly, "It's just he's so bad at it!"
Hinata let out a sigh of relief which caused Tenten to laugh. "Hinata, It's a good thing! It's much better to have a boyfriend who can't lie than someone who can talk their way out of anything. Sakura, I don't know how you managed for so long."
"Whatever do you mean!" asked Sakura.
"Nothing," Tenten said sounding nonchalant. "It's just Neji is a very smooth talker."
"I always though Neji-nii-san told the truth," said Hinata doubtfully.
"Yeah, his version." said Tenten and Sakura together in accidental unison. The girls laughed at the unexpected timing causing Sakura to once again wonder secretly if Tenten ever had a crush on Neji.
Shikamaru sighed as he resisted quickening his pace to escape them. "This has to be therapeutic for them," he thought. Meanwhile this type of conversation tortured him, but whatever, he highly doubted Ino obsessed this much about him.
"I wonder what she's doing right now," he thought, "It would have been nice to sleep in today."
Shikamaru froze in the middle of the street causing his squad to stop in concern a few feet behind. "Shikamaru-kun?" said Hinata hesitantly, "Is something wrong?"
Shikamaru didn't answer her question, instead he seemed to address the very air. "Is there something we can do for you?" he inquired casually in a loud voice.
Just to the left of the chuunin team a tall ninja in a white animal mask appeared, the sunlight almost seeming to glisten on his silvery uniform. He folded his arms and radiating a relaxed, but no nonsense aura.
"I'm impressed," the Anbu told Shikamaru and so were the girls. Anbu were notoriously good at hiding their presense and none of them had detected a thing.
"Haven't seen Uchiha Sasuke this morning?" the man asked. Shikamaru hesitated before shaking his head no.
The Anbu nodded slightly and was about to disappear when Sakura called out, "Wait! Did something happen to Sasuke?" The masked man turned to take a small step towards her then stepped back.
"He must be one of the Anbu who watch Uchiha's house all the time," thought Shikamaru. "He must know Sakura well."
"You should tell him to get home quickly," the masked-nin said in a deadly earnest way. The man was gone in the blink of an eye.
Sakura looked franticly at Shikamaru who put his hands up. "We can't do anything about this Sakura," he said, "We don't know even where he is and the Anbu are already on his trail."
"But what if he's trying to leave the village!" she said desperately.
"No, it's not our mission."
"I have to go!" she said near shouting.
The chuunin captain was taken back when Sakura yelled at him. She very rarely countered his orders and even socially she was an agreeable person most of the time. He locked into her fiery green stare with his own stony brown gaze. In this battle of wills he wasn't going to lose, but it was damn hard not to flinch.
"Onegai Shikamaru," Sakura said stiffly, "I know where he'll go."
"Yeah, I'll definite have to face her if I go Jounin," a small, but very sarcastic part of his brain silently commented.
He gave in. Closing his eyes and rubbing them a little he said, "Ok, Sakura you take point. Tenten and I will follow. Hinata turn on your wide lenses and trail us. Use a bluejay call if you spot anything."
Sakura's face flooded with relief, without pause she exploded to the rooftops. The rest of the team moved to follow matching her pace. At top speed they operated as if deep in foreign territory on a mission, not in the village they called home. As they sprinted along Shikamaru noticed that all the streets were deserted. "Everyone is at the Hokage's sendoff for Lightning Country," he realized, "If Sasuke was going to try and escape he couldn't have chosen a more perfect time."
Sakura seemed to be flying as her feet barely touched the ledges and walls she leapt from. The team had been running for only a few minutes when without warning Sakura jumped down to a cobble paved road. It was a rather unremarkable street having no houses on it and little else besides a few park benches. Shikamaru landed with Tenten near Sakura and it was then he noticed they were just west of the ninja administration building.
"Hinata," said Sakura as if talking to an imaginary friend, "has anyone been through here recently."
The woman she spoke to appeared out of thin air beside her. "Let me check," she said. Hinata scanned with her Byakugan walking slowly forward. She bent down after only a few yards ahead. "Yes," she informed them, "someone landed here and then went into the trees heading directly west. There is very little dirt where the person's sandal made friction with pavement…. I'd say less than a half an hour."
Sakura grinned with a predatory smile as the hunt was on. She jumped into the trees where Hinata had directed and the team followed falling back into the formation Shikamaru had placed them.
Shikamaru was used to Sakura directing from the lead position. In their team dynamics it was usually either her or him that led. However, as the team flew over the massive curtain wall that marked their departure from the village proper to the forest beyond he became uncomfortable.
"Even thought I agreed to do this, this isn't a real mission," he thought, "I'm not letting Sakura take us halfway to Sound Country either."
He watched the pink haired girl from behind and mulled over how hard she would argue with him when he called an end to this goose chase.
They were moving very fast into the forest and the trees grew in size as they entered an older patch of moss covered giants. Sakura landed on the ground in a small clearing under the towering canopy with Shikamaru and Tenten landing a pace behind. "Where to now fearless leader?" said Shikamaru being mildly asinine.
Sakura ignored his comment and looked around to search. "Hinata," she said again calling on the concealed woman who was their backup, "Can you look here too?"
They waited for Hinata to appear with her near perfect tracking ability, yet the forest remained silent. As the seconds dragged to a minute with no sign of their last team member worry began to sprout in their minds.
Shikamaru was concerned. "Hinata," he called into the trees looking behind them. Sakura interrupted his call gasping sharply. Shikamaru and Tenten turn back to her in alarm, their eyes instantly shifting to where she pointed.
On a branch above them was Hinata, a limp form, held like a sack in the arm of a man whom they all remembered well. His white shorts and blue cowled jacket were like a seal and signature to a former life and the red and white fan insignia emblazoned on his back gave him a near sinister air. His hair was cropped short again and almost completely gone were the signs his captive life. The lone exception were the glasses he wore pushing them slightly up the bridge of his nose with a middle finger.
Sasuke did not waste words on them with a familiar arrogant smirk plastered on his face as he tossed the unconscious Hinata down to the forest floor. Shikamaru ran forward to catch her as Tenten bared her teeth in rage. "Come on you bastard!" she yelled. The weapons specialist pulled out collapsed weapon from a holster and brandished it instantly into its full form, a kusarigama. She twirled the weighted chain above her head with whistling speed before releasing it with her characteristic accuracy.
"Gotcha," Shikamaru said as he caught Hinata and sprung to the side to get her out of harm's way. He cradled her in his arms as he felt for her weak, but steady pulse. Doing so, he registered the whistle of thrown weapons approaching him from behind. Out of the corner of his eye three senbon he knew Sasuke must have thrown hurtled towards him. The chuunin captain tried to duck and shelter Hinata as the needles caught him in the shoulder. He winced at pain but knew thankfully that all vital areas were missed. The captain laid Hinata down behind a tree and turned back to the fight
Tenten stood her feet set wide as she pulled taunt the chain she had successfully wrapped around her foe. Sasuke stood bracing with his own weight on a branch as she tried to rip him out of the tree. Shikamaru start to run forward bringing his hands up for a jutsu when his legs gave out from under him. The world was spinning, he collapsed in front of the same tree he had just placed Hinata behind.
"Poison," he thought he reaching up with pluck out the senbon. His hand crept up towards his shoulder when it seemed to fall dead to sleep. The paralyzing effect was quick and Shikamaru found that he couldn't move any limb at all. He concentrated to slow his hearbeat down to retard the poison's spread, but he knew that without Hinata there to aid him there was little he could do.
He sat like a spectator watching Tenten and Sasuke struggle. The kunoichi wrapped the chain expertly about an elbow as she took a step closer and put her back into it. Sasuke meanwhile did not seem worried as he easily held himself up on his perch.
"Weak," he commented disdainfully at her efforts.
Shikamura saw that Sakura hadn't moved from the spot where she had originally spied the escaped nin in the trees. "What is she doing!" he thought furiously. "Sakura! Wake up!" he yelled. The catatonic girl who had her hands over her mouth turned to him to stare with confusion. Shikamaru tried to say more but nothing came out as his voice too became a whisper due to the paralyzing poison.
Tenten grimaced with effort to yank him down, but Sasuke remained like stone. His smile deepened a little as he grabbed the chain and pulled hard drawing Tenten off her feet. The Uchiha scion leapt down in a collision course with the surprised kunoichi.
"He's too strong for her," Shikamaru thought, cursing Rock Lee for being foolish enough to train the criminal who was about to defeat his bride-to-be.
Sasuke met her in the air snatching the sickle weapon from her hands and landing a punishing fist to her midsection. Tenten grunted with pain as her eyes rolled back in her head. She lost consciousness in the air as her body hit the ground numbly. Sasuke landed beside her and taking the kusarigama chain quickly wrapping it around Tenten. He then tossed her limp form over besides Shikamaru.
Sasuke smiled and gave Shikamaru a small wave goodbye as there eyes met. "Let's see you smile like that when I rip your jaw out asshole," Shikamaru thought viciously. The young chuunin was enraged. "Not dangerous with his chakra sealed they said," he thought disgustedly. He willed his left hand towards the poisoned senbon again but it lay still on his chest. Sasuke turned away and Shikamaru's eyes shifted to Sakura who still hadn't budged. He had never seen her like this.
Sasuke appeared ready to leave as he glanced up into trees. "Catch you later Sakura," he said not looking at her. However, the answer he got was quite unexpected. His eyes widened as a kunai whistled past his ear cutting off a strand of his hair and nailing it to the tree in front of him.
He turned back to see Sakura glaring at him with a determined expression. A small trickle of blood ran from her lips and also from her left hand where she had bit down hard on her knuckle to dispel her fear.
"You are not going anywhere, Sasuke," she said in a veiled threat.
Sasuke shook his hear like he was talking to a child. "I'm too fast, you'll never catch me."
She smiled sweetly. Her respond was just as condescending, "You can run all you want in the genjutsu I put you in, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke looked darkly at her. "Don't get in my way, Sakura."
Sakura eased into a fight stance Shikamaru recognized well from this morning. "I'm not the girl you left on that bench Sasuke," she said in a steely voice.
Shikamaru had no idea what she meant, but her words affected Sasuke greatly. The Uchiha flinched like he'd been slapped on the face. He looked bitterly at her as his mouth worked to make words that refused to come out.
The time for talk seemed over as Sasuke's impassive face became icy. The chakra sealed ninja sprung forward swiftly to cover the dozen or so yards between him and his final obstacle.
"He's like Lee without any training weights," Shikamaru thought as the terrible fight began.
The first kick her threw was a powerful whirlwind matched to the style he perfected in training with Lee-san. Sakura hands were free and loose as her arms circled. She stepped towards the side in a circling pattern and as she moved her hand came up with slack fingertips to met the blistering kick. Her control was perfect as she released chakra to block his attack like a stone wall.
Sasuke jumped back a pace as she shifted stance and a slow, pleased smile spread on Sakura's lips. Sasuke gritted his teeth only to spring forward to renew his attack.
Shikamaru observed the strange spectacle in awe. It was like watching Rock Lee and Neji's legacies play themselves out before him. Sasuke without chakra was limited to taijutsu. His was a mix of Lee's spinning leaf and his own graceful Uchiha style. Sakura's speed had improved greatly with her training and she was able to defend against it with her own quick flowing movements along with the hand block of the Hyuga style she had mastered.
"It's a stalemate," thought Shikamaru, "Sakura had no ability to see the inner coils system, so she can't attack like Hinata or Neji and Sasuke's speed keeps her from landing a normal kick or punch."
After a furious series of blow and counters, the combatants brought apart again breathing heavily. It was then that Shikamaru noticed that Sasuke was wincing in pain. "Hitting those chakra blocks must be like punching steel," he realized, "… she can keep this up longer than Sasuke can."
Sakura knew this too and she looked in control. "Give it up, Sasuke," she said with authority.
Sasuke shook his head a little and shot forward again with that frightening speed, his fist flying forward he suddenly switched hands before her block could connect and with other hand reached forward to grasp her by the throat lifting her up.
Shikamaru was sure it over though.Sakura seemed unafraid. She gripped the wrist of the arm that held her and let her other hand drop down. The free hand flickered through a series of seals in a heart beat and then glowed with a purple aura. Sakura slid the hand crossed Sasuke's bicep and he dropped her jumping back with a cry.
"She can perform medical techniques with just one hand," Shikamaru thought incredibly. Sakura had trained under Tsunade for a long time as a medic to work with Naruto. After she came on his team she gave up that role as Hinata filled it. "I knew her skills surpassed Hinata," he thought, "but who knew she was this powerful."
Sakura regained her breath as a triumphant look appeared on her face. "I've just severed a muscle in your arm, Sasuke. Surrender now."
Sasuke ignored her and with his right arm hanging limp he straighten his back against the pain and closed his eyes.
"What's he doing now?" thought Shikamaru. "He can't mold chakra, Sakura has won."
Sasuke was not finished and both Shikamaru and Sakura stared in disbelief as Sasuke's arm pulled itself up again. "Bakana!" Shikamaru whispered in a desire to shout. The rogue ninja's raven black began to rise up a little and his clothing seemed to flutter with a breeze that could not be felt. His black eyes flashed open. "Initial Lotus," he uttered.
Sasuke moved so fast that light see to bend around him. He disappeared and Sakura searched in vain for signs An unseen kick caught her from behind to send her hurtling head first towards one of the massive trees. Sasuke seemed to warp back into existence as he slowed. Sakura threw he arms up to brace herself and as she slammed into trunk a puff of smoke appeared and a log fell to the ground marking her kawaramii.
Shikamaru was relieved, but stunned. "Lee would never have taught him the Lotus Gates, " he thought, which meant only one thing. The guy had figured them out on his own. It was insane to believe, but it had to be true.
"Well, we've known since we were kids he was a genius."
Sasuke looked around at the trees with impatience. "You don't understand, Sakura," he yelled at the trees.
"No!" came a hollow echoing voice, "You're the one who doesn't understand, Sasuke. Surrender! Now!"
"She's cloaking her voice with genjutsu," Shikamaru thought. Sasuke turned to look in Shikamaru's direction was sitting and the chuunin captain saw him flinch in surprise. It took Shikamaru only a moment to figure out why. "Good job Sakura," he silently congratulated her.
She had not only hid her location while speaking, but she must have used an illusion to hide Tenten and him as well.
Sakura had control again and her quarry search vainly in frustration. Shikamaru knew it was just a matter of time now as her genjutsu would keep Sasuke here and them hidden. A moan escaped Tenten as she drifting along in her unconsciousness. Shikamaru would have moaned too at the bad timing of it if he could have used his vocal chords.
The frustrated look dissipated from Sasuke's visage as he smiled once again. "You can't hide everything from me Sakura," he yelled, "Maybe you'll come out if I use one your teammates for target practice." Sasuke whipped a shuriken at the tree Shikamaru was propped up on and could only watch helplessly as the weapon sunk into the wood just inches about his head.
Three different clones of Sakura appeared from behind trees in a triangle around the clearing. "I'm ending this," they said each slipping a hand scroll out of its slot pocket. She whipped it open and dragged her bloody knuckle cross its flowing script. She rolled it shut again and brought it together with her clasping hands. A she performed hands seals in a long repeating sequence, her voice reverberated with power in a chant of seal names. "She's using her bushin to avoid him well," thought Shikamaru, "But this jutsu…it must be the one she perfected at the chuunin exam in Sand Village."
Sasuke looked agitated as Sakura was clearly doing something big. He would need to be fast. His face was a mask of anger as he breathed, "Gate Open!"
"Just how many of the damn gates can this guy use!" marveled Shikamaru in annoyed disbelief.
Sasuke flashed out of existence only to reappear as his kick tore through a bushin, Sakura's echo resonant chanting continuing without interruption beneath the trees.
"One," counted Shikamaru.
He disappeared again and Shikamaru could not even shift his eyes to the other side of the clearing quick enough as smoke marked another bushin destroyed.
"Two, hurry Sakura," urged Shikamaru.
The Uchiha scion appeared at the last Sakura and had a look of triumph as his hand chopped at the back of her neck. It was a look that faded like the smoke as once again the mist marked it as only a bushin. With his final failure to catch her the chanting came to its end.
The real Sakura flew out the treetops above with the scroll held before her landing on with one knee on the ground she slammed the charged item down.
"Hanafubuki no jutsu!" (Flower Petal Blizzard)
Swirling chakra seemed to eminate along the ground from the scroll as Sakura stood up. Sasuke launched himself at her with a warcry, his body still sporting an unnatural speed. Sakura closed her eyes making no attempt to defend as his turning kick sliced at her head. Shikamaru saw Sasuke connect with her form and then watched as if her body melted into thousands of cherry blossoms petals that swirled fiercely around filling the air.
Shikamaru had to squint in the sudden gale.
Sasuke had his arms up to protect himself as the swirling petals tightened around him with tornado like force. An unseen blow seemed to launch him upward as the invisible strikes assailed him. He was powerless to stop the strikes and Shikamaru could here him grunt and cry out under the punishment. The barrage finally ended as the air became still again with Sasuke and the thousands of cherry blossoms returning to the ground, the flowers' poignant flutter an accompaniment to his brutal collapse.
"Who knew Sakura was this powerful," Shikamaru thought awe-struck. He was in Sand Village with the Hokage at Sakura's Chuunin exam, but had missed her bouts in the arena. "This must be the jutsu she beat Kankuro with," he realized, "It is truly an assassination technique."
Sasuke was coughing up blood as he dragged himself back to his feet.
Sakura materialized out of thin air on the other side of the clearing, now a sea of petals. Her gaze fell on him sadly. "Please stop this," she said tightly in a subdued tone.
Sasuke wiped at his mouth and his eyes had a lonely raw look before hardening once again, "Ikuzuo" was all he replied roughly.
Sakura's body swirled away into nothingness as her jutsu renewed. The twister of petals moving swiftly to envelope her adversary once more, as Sasuke tried to fend the unseen blows. His efforts were futile and his outcries of pain were louder than before as he beaten to a pulp in midair.
"Terrible…This is painful to witness." Shikamaru thought. He knew that Sakura cared for Sasuke a great deal. She had worked hard at keeping him in her life even as a friend after he had refused to give her more. Shikamaru remembered how happy Ino was when Sasuke began to talk to Sakura again and later all those reports about his improvement. If this man returned even a small portion of Sakura's feelings, then this had to be hurting him as well. "Ino always said the Sasuke would be the death of Sakura one day," he thought sadly, "For her to be doing this now…I don't know…could I ever hurt Ino like this if I had to?" In that moment Shikamaru would have shivered with revulsion, but the poison had arrested even that simple movement.
Sasuke landed on the ground with a sickening slap again. This time he jumped up immediately and seemed to make a desperate run towards the forest. The whirlwind jutsu moved to intercept him for what Shikamaru was sure would be the final time. Just before the funneling petals reached him Sasuke turned and screamed, "Ura Renge!"
"Bakana!" Shikamaru's lips moved though no sound would come out.
Sasuke was lifted up by once more by Sakura's jutsu but this time he balled his body tightly as it rocked from invisible blows. Unlike before Sasuke seemed prepared for the hits and without warning his fist shot out breaking through the petals surrounding him.
Shikamaru heard a woman's cry and Sakura appeared out of thin air as seemingly defeated nin's strike had found her within the illusion.
A tree trunk ended the kunoichi's flight with bruising impact. From hands and knees Sakura inched up from the forest floor fighting for breath. The cherry blossoms of her jutsu became lifeless and strewn on the ground around them all as she stood slowly.
"Even though the petals and the air pressure hid your attacks, the rendan was the same each time," said Sasuke with a knowing arrogance, "By the third time it was easy to tell where you'd be."
Sakura looked tired, but determined.
"She's used up a lot of chakra in that last attack," Shikamaru thought, "I wonder what she'll do now." The chuunin captain watched the stalemate and then caught on to what Sakura had done. The smallest of smiles appeared on his stiff lips.
"I'm not through yet," Sakura yelled and her hands started to move in seals again.
Sasuke whipped eight kunai out of a weapons' pouch and hurled them in a large flowing fan. His face tightened when he realized she wasn't dodging. The weapons came together with whistling speed. As they impacted a look of shock came over Sasuke, a painted log fell where he thought Sakura had been.
"No," Shikamaru wanted to scream, "not that jutsu!"
Sakura had hidden her presence well. She was situated behind Sasuke and released a technique she was positive would incapacitate him.
"Shintenshin no jutsu!"(Mind-Body Switch)
Sasuke turned to face her as the technique impacted him. Both people fell as the spirit energy completed its arc.
Shikamaru was frantic. "Why did Ino ever agree to try to teach her that," he muttered in a distraught whisper. The Shintenshin technique while not a bloodline technique was extremely difficult for anyone outside the Yamanaka clan to master. Sakura could only get it to work properly only once in every dozen times she tried, very often it failed giving her and who ever she was practicing with an amazing headache. "To try it in a battle little this…" he thought understanding, "she really must not want to kill him."
Shikamaru was pleasantly surprised when his stiff fingers wiggled a little when he urged once more, "Great, the venom is wearing off a little."
Unexpectedly, Sakura's body jerked a little catching the incapacitated chuunin's attention. "Crap," cursed Shikamaru. Sakura convulsed again more violently this time and it was when Shikamaru noticed a strange reddish flush had filled Sasuke's skin. "Is that an aftereffect of the Lotus?"
Shikamaru had to get up and he started to concentrate flexing his hand and crawling it up towards the senbon still lodged in his arm. "Shit!" he thought as Sakura's body seized again, "I can't move fast enough and…"
A presence suddenly appeared besides Shikamaru and while he couldn't look up, but he knew from the ninja's sandals and pants who it was.
"Damn it Shikamaru," Naruto said in annoyance, "Why did you have to be such a smart bastard?"
Choji and Kiba appeared in the clearing as well. Neji materialized a moment later beside Sakura's body. "What do I have to do?" he asked sharply as he cradled Sakura's jerking form in his arms.
Shikamaru tried to scream as the words arrived in the air at a normal volume level. "Kai." he exhaled.
Neji folded his left hand in Sakura's right and invoked the jutsu for breaking illusion.
Sakura's eyes fluttered open briefly to close again as her body became slack and Sasuke awoke curling into a ball amid his pain-filled coughing. Shikamaru would have breathed a sigh of relief if his torso would have let him. It was then he caught the recovering movement of the others. Tenten rose back to her feet shakily and Hinata appeared beside Shikamaru no worse for wear but in as agitated a state as he'd ever seen her.
The former Hyuga heir opened her medicine pouch and took out a pill that she pushed roughly in his mouth. "Swallow," Hinata commanded him rubbing his throat to aid its action. She then laid her hands open his shoulder extracted the needles with a cool efficiency that made him wince. The pill had passed down and Hinata quickly applied healing to the exterior wound. Shikamaru felt the icy shock of chakra healing wash over him and as her brisk ministrations ended the young captain found he could pick himself up again.
As Shikamaru steadied himself Hinata bowed nearly halfway at the waist. "Please forgive me," she asked stiffly, "I was caught foolishly. It should not have happened." Hinata was always very critical of herself, but she was right. If Sasuke had been a foreign enemy the entire team would have perished.
"Don't worry Hinata," Shikamaru assured her stretching his still tingly arms above his head, "He knew our weaknesses…no one was seriously injured."
Shikamaru walked slowly towards Naruto when he noticed that the incendiary sealed scroll he had found was strapped innocuously on Naruto's back. "How?" he thought curiously. It was then Shikamaru decided that it was best to remain a few paces off. "You want to tell me what's going on?" he asked the blonde ninja.
Neji still held his unrequited love like a prize. "Yes, Naruto, I'm sure we'd all like to know what you plan on doing with this escaped criminal," added icily.
Naruto oddly ignored all of them as he helped Sasuke to his feet. "You ok," he asked his former teammate quietly, "I told you she's a lot stronger than she looks."
The raven-haired ninja was still trying to regain composure. "Aah," he coughed in assent leaning on his buckled knees.
Shikamaru cleared his throat to remind Naruto they were all still expecting an explanation.
Naruto turned to him and taking Neji in his glance, put his hands up in surrender. "Now everyone this is not how this was planned. I was going to meet Sasuke nearby, but he was never supposed to be intercepted by Anbu."
As Naruto ended his sentence, Sakura inhaled noisily in Neji's arms. She spoke abruptly as if in a dream, "Sasuke," she mumbled, "… you bastard."
Neji's face sported a large grin at the comment and Sasuke spied the pale ninja's cold look then shifted his eyes downward to the ground awkwardly.
Hinata moved to where Neji stood and put her hands out expectantly. It was an awkward moment for the familial pair as the spurned lover handed off his prize to the concerned friend. Hinata immediately settled her to the ground to assess her condition.
"He is an escaped-nin Naruto," Shikamaru said matter-of-factly, "the Anbu we saw before we gave chase confirmed this."
"We received no orders from the Hokage to aid him," Neji chimed in, "You have no authority to do this on your own."
Shikamaru found it odd that he and Neji were on the same side on in this situation, but he was glad for it. Choji and Kiba also wore concerned looks, as Neji was their captain. If he declared Naruto as a rogue ninja they were duty bound to aid in his capture in addition to Sasuke.
Naruto's eyes became larger as he showed no fear at being out numbered.
"The Hokage does approve of what I'm doing with Sasuke here, "he said in an impatient tone. "She was the one who came up with this idea. We needed to hide this from you as Konoha is about to face a major assault very soon."
"What do you mean, Naruto?" asked Kiba as Akamura seemed to solidify menacingly out of the mist that felt between the thick trees.
"I mean, " continued Naruto now looking into the eyes of all the doubtful faces that surrounded him, "that Tsunade feared spies, like the last time our village was attacked by the Sound and she knew that they would try again very soon."
"What does Sasuke have to do with this?" Shikamaru interjected trying to bring him back to the point of the matter.
Naruto gave Shikamaru a big grin. "I'm sure you figured out by now Shikamaru that Itachi Uchiha is still alive. He also still wants to rip Kyubi from my body and he's given Tsunade an ultimatum that says if I don't deliver this scroll here on my back to him by sundown tomorrow he'll be joining Orochimaru's remaining Sound-nin for an all out attack."
The looks of concern and disbelief appeared on many of the chuunin. This was news to most of them, but the preparations for the attack had already been revealed to Shikamaru the night before.
"Sasuke is going in your place," Shikamaru stated coming to only obvious conclusion, "but how can you possibly trust him?"
"I trust him," came a wavering voice from behind Naruto. Sakura stood unsteadily and taking a few uncertain steps to stand with her old genin team. "If Naruto says this is what the Hokage wants, how can of you stand there an openly call him a liar?"
Shikamaru was dumbfounded. Sakura had just been in a life-or-death struggle with Sasuke and was now supporting Naruto in his crazy move to let him go to after his brother.
They were all surprised when Hinata spoke next. "No one is calling Naruto-kun a liar Sakura, it's just that is all very sudden."
Shikamaru agreed with Hinata and being close to both Naruto and Sakura he was glad she was the one to make that point. "Fine, no one is calling you a liar, can I ask why Sasuke has to go, given his current condition."
Naruto gave Shikamaru a grin that he was never happy to see. It was the one he used only when he was about to do something extremely reckless. "I figured you would have got this all worked out by now smart guy," said Naruto, "When Tsunade had her office blown up, the reason was to deliver a letter telling her that I had to bring the scroll to Itachi…."
"So that's what Kabuto was up to…" interjected Shikamaru, "and the reason Sasuke is going is because he's Orochimaru's target?" He figured that the bait and switch would be what he'd do.
"He's still no match for his brother," Neji warned, knowing first-hand Itachi's strength.
Naruto turned back to his team captain. "Well, I'm about to change that when I unseal him."
Naruto's lighthearted tone was disregarded as kunai were whipped out of holsters. Shikamaru held his blade in a tight fist even with Naruto as did Neji. Tenten, Kiba and Choji were armed as well wearing anxious looks. Sakura, her emerald eyes ablaze interposed herself between Sasuke and Neji and held up her weapon defensively. Seeing her take his side again, against all rationale, made the white-eyed ninja grimace with resentment.
Only Hinata and Naruto remained tranquil as Sasuke slowly straighten from his crouch seeming to have mastered the pain he was in.
Shikamaru felt sweat breaking out on his forehead. "Naruto," he yelled harshly ready to argue his point more.
"Shikamaru," Naruto shouted back cutting him off with a deadly intensity. The blond nin's voice became lower but no less grave as he continued, "We are wasting time here. I'm done explaining myself. If you're not convinced you are always welcome to try and stop me."
Neji's foot inched a hair forward and Sakura tightened her stance. "In your condition, Sakura this is a futile effort," he said to her.
Sakura's mouth seemed to borrow Naruto's reckless grin. "If you move against him I swear I'll never speak to you again."
"If he kills you when he's unsealed then my life will lose all meaning anyway," Neji replied earnestly.
Sakura's face remained resolute though it hinted at tears. "It's my life Neji… my choice."
The world seemed to slow like honey underneath the shadowy preserve of the ancient trees. As Naruto's chakra built a sudden and fey chill passed along their spines even this summer's day. They watched stoically as he prepared his seal release jutsu.
Shikamaru was resolved that he had no power in what was about to happen, in fact, he found it oddly irritating for someone who normally shirked responsibility. All he could do was keep replaying stupid scenarios in his mind about what would happen when he when he got home to see Ino.
"Hi honey," he thought in his mind, "Guess what, I was just forced to kill your best friend to stop her from letting Sasuke escape! What's for dinner?" and "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you! I let Naruto unseal Sasuke so he could rip Sakura's throat out as his curse consumed him." Shikamaru wanted to scream in frustration as he like everyone else left their fate up to Naruto.
Sasuke had been mute throughout the heated exchange and now as the object of all this strife he appeared almost peaceful as he stripped off his shirt to reveal his curse. Almost everyone's eyes gravitated to it. The thick ugly swirl Tsunade had placed on it was visible as was the smaller more delicate first seal that Hatake Kakashi had place around the curse mark so long ago. It seemed so innocent, almost like a bad tattoo. Hinata kept her gaze fixed on Naruto and it was filled with a trusting, steady love. Meanwhile Sakura kept her back to her old genin team knowing that when Naruto went to perform the release both men would be vulnerable to attack.
Naruto's right hand glowed brightly as his technique was ready; he had no hesitation.
"Gogagoukaiin!" (Five Element Release Seal).
The taller ninja's hand slapped down on the neck of the slight, dark young man who stood before him stiff and erect. It was over so quickly it was almost like it didn't happen. A swirl of wind like a sigh moved through the group as Naruto took his hand away revealing the disappearance of the black ring.
"Well that wasn't so bad," Shikamaru was about to say when suddenly his stomach clutched. He was thirteen years old again hidden in the bushes with his team as that same horrific power unfolded. Like nails cross a blackboard in his mind he watched the bright red seal escaped its confines and snake over Sasuke's skin. The Uchiha lifted his face to watch them all with black spokes spinning wildly set in blood red pools. The pressure was terrible, exactly like Naruto when he was enraged, that same terrifying demonic presence.
Shikamaru's mind groped madly for what could be done to stop this before…and it stopped.
The vicious crimson seal faded back to its small dull black mark and Sasuke smiled slowly looking with clear ebony eyes at his eternal rival and only constant friend. "Haven't had to do that in a while," he said as he picked up his shirt to put it back on.
Naruto yawned inappropriately and replied, "Well, at least you didn't forget how…You ready?"
Sasuke fished his head through his cowl. "Do I have a choice?"
"Well, you could always try and kill me again!" Naruto said with laugh
"Yeah, there's that," Sasuke said deadpan. The renewed nin took a few steps towards the forest.
"Wait, you forgot this." Naruto told him, unstrapping the summoning scroll he had slung on his back this entire time. As he tossed it over in the air towards Sasuke Shikamaru noticed the familiar red glow reappear. "Naruto must figured out a way to suppress the incendiary effect," he surmised.
Alas, Shikamaru was more than a little disappointed when the smirking bastard didn't turn into toast and the flickering aura winked out again as Sasuke snatched it and turned to leave.
Sakura stumbled a little from her exhaustion as she moved towards him causing Sasuke to pause with his back to her.
"You can't..." he began.
"I know," said Sakura in a calm understanding voice.
Sasuke's head shifted a little as he seemed to want to turn but knew he shouldn't.
"Choji!" Sakura said calling to the robust chuunin who operated as medical-nin for his own team. "Please give him one of your new food pills, the ones that heals most muscle tissue damage in a day."
To give the rotund, powerful ninja credit he did not hesitate to follow orders from the frail-looking kunoichi. He immediately tossed a red and blue capsule along with a bottle of water to Sasuke who caught it to examine it curiously.
"Take it now and be sure to drink lots of water," Choji told him, "In a day you'll be recovered from the beating Sakura just dished out."
Sasuke nodded and smiled a little at Choji assessment of the situation. He popped the pill and took a long swallow from the bamboo flask.
Silence returned under the trees.
"Come back." Sakura told him still sounding calm as quiet tears ran slowly down her face.
Sasuke remained set in his direction as he gave her his cryptic parting words as he disappeared from the glen.
"Arigatoo."
Shikamaru watch the scene end with these three people who were many felt were destined to become the next legendary three and as her did so he idly wondered if anyone else there shared his deep and heartfelt sentiment as he commented to himself , "They are all freakin' nuts."
TO BE CONTINUED
A/N: I'm happy I wrote this. I sort of needed it to manage a certain rage I felt after chapter 181. The goal here while obviously to have a SasuSaku showdown was also to contrast Shikamaru and Ino with Sasuke and Sakura. Both couples perceive they are in love but their actions, motives, intentions etc. are, IMHO, startlingly different!
And yeah purists on how Lee's lotus works can call me on it, whatever, don't read this far into my story to now finally nitpick about.