Cloudless Sky

Chapter 3: A Pact with the Devil

It was all he could do not to curl up and cry to his witch of a mother. In this cruel, harsh new place he was feeling the loneliness tug at his heart, the gravity of the situation seeping into his brain. He was in deep.

Dressed in the robes over his netted shirt and pants, he felt like he was making a pact with the devil. The realization that help was too far to make it to him was also setting in, and with each growing minute he felt like he was too far lost to be saved. A knock came at his door. Another dark-robed figure barged in, this one blonde with strange blue eyes. Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. 'This is Deidara...the clay manipulator.' He thought as he stood up from where he sat on the bed, the strange new robes he was wearing fluttering. Deidara smirked.

"You must be the one Itachi caught, un." He said, leaning against the doorway. Shikamaru scowled.

"I'm not an animal." He pointed out, inspecting the strange straw hat that had been sitting next to the robes he now had on.

"Haha. Well, we're having a meeting, un. All of us want to, ha, meet ya, un." Deidara said with a small snicker. Shikamaru frowned and walked out. It was like an impossible maze, the doors and archways making his head hurt. They obviously were hidden somewhere far away. Shikamaru had never felt so disoriented in his life. Deidara stopped short at a large archway, and pushed open the doors. A large open space expanded before them. There was a long table, and many other robed figures sitting down. Shikamaru tried not to let his nervousness show too much. A dark cloaked figure sat at the head of the table, and by the way the others sternly laid their eyes on him Shikamaru suspected this was the Leader, the disreputable man who commanded them. He took a seat by Itachi and Deidara. The faces that glared back at them made his spine tingle. A plant-like creature smirked cruelly at him, and other strange S-Class nin stared back at him also. He felt terribly out of place.

The Leader cleared his throat, causing heads to turn back to him sharply. He set his hands down on the table. He looked straight at Shikamaru.

"I'd like everyone to, ah...Introduce our new Strategist, Shikamaru Nara." He said, nodding his shadowed face towards Shikamaru. Shikamaru tried to look down, not meeting their gazes. "Oh, don't be shy. We won't bite...will we, Kisame?" He said. A few muffled laughs were heard. Shikamaru fought the urge to start shaking in fear.

"What does he do?" One asked. The Leader glared at the one who spoke, the strange plant-guy Shikamaru had noticed earlier.

"Tell them, Shikamaru. Or better yet, a demonstration, perhaps?" The Leader said, smirking. Shikamaru got up slowly, shaking noticeably, for a few snickers were heard throughout the room. He turned to the one who had spoken out against him, facing him, trying to keep a blank face. He made a few quick seals.

"Kagemane no Jutsu!" He cried, stretching his shadow to meet the green plant creature. Eyes widened as he made him get up, take out a kunai, and start pointing it towards himself, although he wouldn't have done more, knowing they would stop him before harming the other member (although harming him would have wounded himself also).

"That's enough." The Leader said coolly, a smirk plastered on his darkened face. "Very good. Shikamaru is also the best strategist in his village, he's a super genius with an IQ of over 200." The Leader said. Mouths gaped. Shikamaru smirked. 'That'll teach them to mess with me.' He thought, lying back in his chair, arms folded behind his head.

"Is this the only reason I'm here?" He said, a smug grin on his face. He had determined in his mind that the only possible way to stay alive was to become one of them—gain their trust. He wouldn't let them destroy Konoha because he didn't want to do anything to stop it. As troublesome as it was, it was his job as a Shinobi to do so, no matter the circumstances.

"As you might know, lately our missions to gather the demons have been, ah…unsuccessful." The Leader said, staring pointedly at Itachi and Kisame. Kisame looked a twinge frightened; Itachi didn't look fazed.

"And you want me to plan them." He said easily, although his heart was beating faster than ever before. 'Just use the emotional training…but to find the demons? Kill the containers? I've met Naruto, went on missions with him…he's not a bad guy…how can I do something like that?' He thought wildly. The other members bowed their heads.

"Yes. In return…the safety of the village you no longer belong to, and the respect of your companions." The Leader said frankly. Shikamaru looked away. Would he never see Konoha again? Did they worry about him?

"Shikamaru no Danna." They murmured slowly. Shikamaru let his utter surprise show, almost falling out of his chair. 'Master? They're respecting me? …why?' He thought, racing to keep his seriousness.

"Hm." He murmured softly, closing his eyes. If they were going to respect him, he guessed he felt safer…what was it Asuma had taught him? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Either way, this whole thing was going to be way too troublesome for comfort.

---

Temari's hands fluttered against her sides as she walked through the town. Everyone looked happy around her, as happy as normal days went, but within her she was sure her heart was bleeding. It had been four days since Shikamaru had gone, and rescue parties searched to no avail. All they found was one of his earrings, a piece of his torn Chuunin vest. He was alive, they were sure…but a missing-nin, anyway. The rookies and Gai's team had all gotten together, murmuring about the unlikeliness that Shikamaru had betrayed them as the rumors told. His team seemed the most taken aback by the news. The blonde girl, Temari thought her name was Ino, started to cry when she heard if he had left and was alive he was considered an S-Class missing-nin, being as he had a powerful jutsu and an even stronger mind. His best friend, the one with the potato chips, refused to believe anything of the sort, and stomped off in fury.

When Shikamaru's parents were told, all hell broke lose. His mother defended his name (peppering her vocabulary with constant threats) and his father took on a deep frown. After the realization that he may even be dead, she calmed down, and tearfully hid herself in her husband's arms.

Temari had shut herself in the rented home she stayed in for her meetings, and had refused to come out, not wanting anyone to see the weakness she currently dwelled in, and the small hope that he was still alive. She fingered the small necklace without knowing, staring at the dark walls of her home. Suddenly a small knock was heard at her door, and an even softer voice chimed through.

"T-temari? It's Ino. I was wondering if you would, erm, talk to me. It's about…Shikamaru…" Ino said softly. Temari looked down.

"It's open." She answered softly. Ino opened the door and sat down in the dark room, facing Temari. She studied her for a moment.

"You miss him…I can tell, so you shouldn't hide it." Ino said, clearly choking on tears. Her face was red and looked strained. Temari looked down.

"I can't help but feel it's my fault…and now these stupid rumors that he joined the Akatsuki. That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard!" She blurted out. Ino nodded.

"He's my best friend. I would think he'd be too lazy to try anything like that, but I guess maybe when you're that smart there are other…options…to consider." Ino said softly.

"He didn't want power. Damnit, he didn't even want to be a shinobi! He was my partner, an acquaintance, so why do I even care? I was the one who told him that he needed emotional training, the one that looked down upon his unexpected fragility…and now here I am…experiencing the same thing. Over him, that idiot." She said softly. Ino smiled at her through tears.

"Did you ever tell him that?" Ino asked softly, a wry smile on her face. Temari looked up, confused.

"What?" She asked resting her body on one hand, lifting the other into the air to show her confusion.

"That you care about him so much." Ino said with a sad smirk. Temari fell onto her back in shock, then regained herself and scrunched up her face in anger.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! HE'S A COMPLETE SMARTASS! He's only a partner. And now, if he's a missing-nin, S-Class…he's an enemy." She said hoarsely. 'Is that really what I think?'

---

It had been almost a week since he had been captured, Shikamaru judged. He seemed to be lost from time, in a separate world. It was strange how enemies acted like a village, actually caring for each other, kidding with each other. But then again, who was he to say they were enemies, when his village was the enemy to them? It was all rather troublesome.

Nonetheless, the other members of the deadly organization treated him with respect, and soon after he had been accepted almost completely, he was sent off on his first mission: to take out a hunter-nin that had been sent after them, one of the best in Konoha. He was told demon-hunting was only saved once almost all other 'distractions' had been taken care of. They didn't want to be overpowered.

He was to go with Deidara, and Sasori was to be sent off with Zetsu. Although Deidara seemed displeased with this change of venue, he didn't argue, saying that Shikamaru 'probably had a lot more tricks up his sleeve, un'. So it was settled. The objective: take out said hunter-nin swiftly, practically. It was a test, he soon realized, of his abilities of working with a partner. What bothered him the most was the killing aspect.

Sure, he had taken some lives by his shadows and kunai, but he had never taken the life of someone from his own country. It was treason; If he did it, he could never go back to Konoha without the consequence of his own death. And that was what caused the tears falling silently down his face as he took out a kunai, and found his forehead protector in a pile with his old clothes.

Taken his arm back, kunai inbetween his fingers, he swept his hand across the center of the headband, resulting in a long cut across the metal.

It was like he had said; He was too far lost to be saved.

A/N: Kagemane no Jutsu – Shadow Imitation Technique

Shikamaru no Danna – Master Shikamaru

Thank you all for being supportive!