When the Deer Run

Chapter 2

Huge Success

Well, the morning plan failed.

I got up early before the sun rose to re-right to report and deliver it to the Hokage but father was there. I could have sworn he was waiting for me but it wasn't to apologise.

He repeated the events of last night but it lasted another extra hour. It hurt to even grimace as I cleaned the blood off me before heading out. It had hurt A LOT more today, I hadn't even noticed if he had been drinking all night and was still drunk or sober but it didn't matter. For some reason as well, I didn't know why, but no one could find out what he had done, no one.

It has been two weeks now since it began. Once a day every day, he would just appear and beat me, always worse than before. Sometimes it would happen twice or even thrice a day.

I had no escape and no excuse for going home. Once I tried to stay with Choji for the night but my father came looking for me and took me home where he pound me even more than ever before. I didn't have the escape of being on a mission either because after Asuma died Tsunade had only given them small quick missions if any. She said they needed to train.

It reminds me of the only other time Dad beat me like this.

I was nine. It was autumn. I had been staying with the Yamanaka's for about a week. Something was wrong, I knew that much. Mum hadn't left on a mission and Dad was due to return from a mission about a week ago. Inoichi was out most of the time yet he wasn't on a mission either. According to Choji, his dad was just the same. Once I over heard Inoichi complaining that 'there was no consoling him' to his wife. That did it. I'd figured it out. Someone had been injured, badly.

Two days after I had figured this out Mum came round. She talked to Inoichi and his wife for a long time. By this point I was getting bored so I went to the door way to listen. They didn't notice me leaning against the frame until I spoke. I asked who was injured. They all looked at me. I remember their faces. They where full of a mixture of pain, fear, uncertainty and surprise. It scared me.

Inoichi's wife was the first to recover. "One of your father's friends has been badly wounded and is in hospital."

"That can't just be it. Dad won't be as effected as you say he is for just that. Besides, if he's at the hospital they'll be able to heal him."

I remember my mother sighing and telling the other grownups that it was hopeless to lie to me and I'd figure it out anyway. Another sigh, this time from Inoichi.

"Fine," he turned to me. "'kay kid, here's what happened. Your dad went out on a mission with a highly trained squad under his command. Something happened on that mission. Something bad. We don't know what yet because your father is in no state to talk at the moment but what we do know was that your father was the only one to get away uninjured."

"You said that only one of his friends where in the hospital. Does that mean the other two died?"

"Yes, it does."

"And father blames himself for being the only one uninjured, right?"

"I'm afraid so."

"How troublesome."

All the time Inoichi and I had been talking the women had been silent, just listening to us. But now we where done Mum stood up and said it was time to go. Leaving I could tell that Dad was in a bad way but I wasn't prepared for how bad he actually was.

When I got home Mum was called to the Hokage's office so I was left alone in the house with Dad. I didn't think about it much. I just went up to my room to lie on the bed and watch the clouds go by through the window.

My dad had come up stairs to see what I was doing. He had been drinking heavily. When he saw me doing nothing in particular he got angry. He hit me. I cried out. He hit me again. I started tearing up. He raised his hand to hit me again but I jumped out the window and ran away.

I quickly ran into Inoichi in the forest, he had come to check up on my father. He asked why I was crying, then he saw the bruises that where starting to appear on my cheek. I told him Dad had been drinking and hit me. Inoichi then gave me a hug and told me that if it ever happened again I was to leave immediately and go to his house. He told me my dad was dangerous when he drank on his own, especially now. I knew he was telling the truth so I didn't argue when he told me to go straight back to his house and to stay there for the night. He told me he'll go talk to my father.

It carried on like that for about a week. My mum had been called out yet again on a mission and I spent most of my time with Yamanaka's. It stopped though. It stopped soon after Dad was put back in his old team with Inoichi and his other best friend, and father of Choji, Choza.

It never happened again after that until now, even though Inoichi had told me strictly that if it even looked like it would happen again to go to him instantly. I don't know why I didn't go to him this time. I just didn't.

Authors Notes:- Don't ask me why I didn't put this at the top I just didn't.

Anyways I know this is a tiny chapter but they will be longer I promise. Also I wanted this chapter to be primarily about Shikamaru's past experiences and memories so I didn't want to make it any longer. Another thing about Shikamaru's memories, his dad's friend in hospital died and his dad thinks it was because of his lack of leadership at the time that's why he talked to Shikamaru about the whole 'if the leader isn't there ALL your friends would have DIED' thing after Sasuke left, also his dad got his scars in that mission (they could have been healed but he refused).

See, I think about my characters past A LOT!!!

Oh and one more thing - chapter titles! They may be a bit confusing but they are all lines/quotes from one of my favourite songs at the moment: 'Still alive', theme tune of Portal which is BRILLIANT! Go play it… NOW!

Warning:- I have decided that this story will be from different peoples perspectives. As a result the next few chapters are from Inoichi's point of view. You have been Warned.

HAY!!! WHAT'S THAT BIG GREEN BUTTON DOWN THERE?

I WOUNDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU PRESS IT.

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