By the woods

It had been four days, the young Lord had hardly spoken to anyone and was directing them towards the Rock country. "You know you look a little young for a Lord." said Shikamaru. They had been walking a few hours now non-stop. "Yes well my father died and past down the title of "lord" to me just recently." Yamamoto stated. "But what are you raising taxes for? I mean, are you paying for something?" Sakura questioned. He looked back at her and stated, "The taxes in my town are paid on income, property and consumption on the national, prefectural and municipal levels. We raised taxes to pay for protection in our town. To update technology and the walls that surround us. It's called one of the hidden towns of the Rock Country. Your hokage mistook it as a city... But I'm not here to lecture you on taxes, otherwise that would lead to a whole day's worth of boredom." Yamamoto didn't say anything more of that matter.

By nightfall the group had set up camp. Shikamaru took Kiba to the side to tell him something near the edge of the woods surrounding them. "Look, this guy is suspicious. Not because of the taxes, but did you hear him say he's raising them to protect his town. Against what and whom I wonder. And remember what Tsunade said? She said the people of his town are rioting against him and we're to act as bodyguards. What I don't understand, is I don't see any threats coming to him. We are past the Fire Country borders and we're in the middle of the River Country. No hidden shinobi anywhere near us, and no traps to kill him. If there were rioters and angry people out to get him, wouldn't they send an assassin of some kind? What do you make of this, Kiba?"

Kiba was astonished by this sudden assumption. He stood there speechless for a few minutes then answered, "uh...we kill the assassin?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes and muttered, "Oh forget it, you dumb-ass." Kiba glared back and snarled, "Come again?"

Sakura noticed the tension and interfered between the two. "Hey you two, stop! I know you are tired and restless, let's camp here for the night alright?" Kiba clenched his fist and snarled. Shikamaru looked back at him furrowing his brows, "What's your problem?" he questioned. Kiba glared back with venom, "I'm tired of people pushing me around is what! Just because I'm in love with Kankuro everyone wants to pick a "punch line" with me, or beat me down like they're better than me, well FUCK YOU!" He barred his teeth and growled from the deeper part of his heart. Everything he went through from the past few months was crawling back to him with rage. Shikamaru flinched and stepped back in shock, "Hey back down, Kiba. You are misunderstanding what I said. I called you a dumb-ass for strategy and tactics reasoning, that had NOTHING to do with you being gay or your relationship with Kankuro. I TOLD YOU that I am still your friend no matter your choices of who you bring to bed with you--" Kiba shoved Sakura a few feet away them, and stomped towards Shikamaru snarling like a bear. "SO YOU THINK I'M A WHORE! That I FUCK with Kankuro every NIGHT?! YOU JACKASS!"

Shikamaru's eye's widened from Kiba's words. But before he could dive in for another remark, he caught a movement from the leaves of the trees above them. It was too late to say anything. They were ambushed!

--

Tenten opened her eyes, but only saw pitch black. She began to feel herself panic for not being able to see. "Tenten, calm down. Think clearly." Shikamaru reassured. Tenten breathed in and released all her tension by breathing out. They were tied up. The presence of her friends were leaning against her unconscious. She felt the cloth tied around her eyes, then the rope around her arms, and legs. There was some sort of sack covering her head and tied around her neck gently. From the scruffiness against her cheeks she could tell it was a burlap sack. She smiled, and started moving her fingers towards the braces on her wrists. She knew there were knives hidden inside the braces. But there was no luck. She felt all over her wrists and found nothing. "My weapons...they're gone." she whispered. Shikamaru whispered back, "I don't know, but I have a feeling they stripped us. Do you remember anything that happened after Kiba threw Sakura?"

Tenten breathed in slow to calm down, she had to ignore she was fully nude and thought over what she remembered. A few minutes later, she whispered to Shikamaru, "When the shinobi ambushed us, they took you and Kiba down first. Kiba fought back but was beaten to the ground. Each shinobi had a thick clothe in their hands they placed against your mouths. When they came for me, I thought they were after Yamamoto so I grabbed for him and ran. But we didn't get to far. Yamamoto had me stop for a second when we reached a meadow and he tricked me. I couldn't reach for any weapons at my disposal. He was too fast, he aimed his finger tips at me as bones punctured my pressure points from moving any further.."

"I knew it. I knew I had seen him before. His name is Kimimaro , and he fought up against Gaara and Lee when we were on our search party mission to find Sasuke. Lee told me of this man's attack style. He must have survived." Shikamaru thought aloud. "What happened next?"

"When the shinobi arrived by his side, he came towards me..he unbuckled my collar...Shikamaru I can't say more." She whimpered. "Tenten he didn't do anything to you sexually did he?" he questioned. "No, he..." Tenten's breathing became raspy as she said, "he threatened to kill Neji...and..."

"Hey you two shut your traps!" One of the male voices leaned down and smacked Shikamaru on the side of his head but ignored hitting Tenten. "Hey, man, tell me again why the master asked us to strip them naked?" questioned another male voice. The first voice answered, "Because they're ninjas', you moron. Ninja's always have hidden weapons in every garment. Stripping them of their clothes is to keep them from escaping for now. We'll give them new ones when we arrive in our home."

"Shikamaru...I'm scared." Tenten breathed. "Just lay low and be quiet. Think of Neji and your loved ones when you are scared. It keeps your fears at bay." he whispered.

Author's note: I took my sweet-ass time with this. Sorry, I had a brain-fart for like a week. :( I've been watching movies all week to get an idea of what I should write next. Finally I came up with this and more! WOOO! Please PLEASE Review!