The L Boogie- So sorry about the lengthy update time. I've been busy with work…which is a good thing since I haven't had much of that. Yay for being able to pay bills!
Part of me is unsatisfied with this chapter. Maybe it's because I've had to split it in two…but there's something amiss I think. I'll post it for now because I can't think of what else I need to do or add…but maybe I'm just being to critical. Either way, here's a two parter for ya.
Once I get these next two chapters out of the way, that'll be the end of my first story arc. Or at least by the notes I've made to myself. I'm excited as I've opened up a bit of a gold mine of ideas recently, so maybe I'm just wishing to get through some of this stuff so that I can get to it and share such ideas with all of you.
Anyhow, I hope you all enjoy this. And don't forget to drop me a review!
Legal Jargon- I don't own Naruto. The world, the characters, the…well…everything. Except for the Author Created stuff. So don't try to sue me, cause you can't get blood from stone.
The Darkhorse: A Naruto Fan Fiction
Woodland Battlefield, part 1
For Temari, waiting on Shikamaru was both a time honored tradition, as well as a severe waste of time. At the designated entrance point of the Forest, Temari sat on a small stump of a tree, watching the afternoon sky fade into a twilight. Gazing upwards at the moon and stars, she allowed her thoughts to wander, giving thought to the words she was going to have with him.
A half an hour passed and she sighed heavily, feeling a growing irritation over take her . She had given some thought to just going into the forest and seeing if he was already inside. Giving it more thought, she remembered the warning he gave her when he first brought her by the forest.
" Do not go in there. Never go in there. These are my Family's woods and are protected by a variety of Seals and Wards. The only way you could enter safely is for you to be with the member of the Nara Clan. Otherwise you'll become the victim of the forest. For anyone to just enter and make it through safely, they'd have to be one hell of a Shinobi."
She huffed, staring into the dimly lit forest while resisting the urge to discover for herself what kinds of traps lay in wait for those who are uninvited. Finally, after fifteen more minutes, a lanky Shinobi swaggered up to the Suna Ambassadors side.
" Your late." she scolded.
" Sorry about that." he said with a yawn, his face still slightly sleepy eyed.
" I'm still trying to figure out how you became a Jounin." she snarked with a grin.
" You were there…Don't you remember my fantastic and amazing victory? Only two of us passed after all." he reminded with a smirk.
" Yeah yeah. The Jounin exam gets easier and easier every year…" the blond jested, garnering an eyebrow raising from her friend.
" So are you ready to go yet?" he asked, insinuating her fault for the time of day.
In a sound of disbelief, the Suna Nin nodded her head.
" Sure. Just lead the way and don't get us lost." the woman shot.
The Nara took a lead and was the first to step into the woods, then motioned for his friend to follow. Temari cautiously made her approach, distrusting of the forest. Shikamaru made no signs, nor did he make any kind of announcements to ensure her. Still, she did trust him after all, so after a few minutes of walking through the trees, her nerves calmed.
" So these are the famed Nara woods huh? I kind of expected a little more…" she spoke.
" Oh, this is just the fringe. You can still see outside the woods…unless you are some amateur Shinobi. Then the first ward kicks in and you'll quickly find yourself wandering the fringe for hours, until it spits you out on the same side you entered in on." he explained.
" Sounds like a low level Genjutsu…" she analyzed.
" Yep. It's so that anyone who just wanders in aimlessly, or anyone without the ability to dispell Genjutsu gets out unharmed. Anyone who can break through that barrier is probably intent on something." he responded.
" So what other nasty surprises do you have in here?" Temari asked, feeling a slight chill up her spine.
" Sorry…I can't really divulge too much more right now. Gotta keep some of this secret." he stated.
She shrugged it off, understanding that some of his family secrets were probably buried or sealed here. As they continued further in, the trees became larger and larger, gaining in both size and girth. A solid forty five minutes of walking and exchanging friendly pleasantries and bickering, and they were walking amongst giant red oaks. Her eyes were wide with amazement at the enormity of the trees, and with her knowledge of how large the forest was supposed to be, they were maybe a quarter way in.
Finally, they came to a small clearing, where they found a small group of deer. Shikamaru held his hand out to her and signaled her to stop. Not making any movements, she watched on as he slowly approached, amazed at his bravery. Sure, while they were just deer, the Stag at the forefront was tremendous. Standing a good foot and a half over Shikamaru, it towered forwards as the young Nara stepped up to greet it. Holding his hand out, it took a moment to garner it's trust and allowed the large creature to take in his scent. Once it had affirmed who he was, it calmly turned aside.
He reached up and took a strong hold on it's large antlers and pulled it's head downwards. It complied and allowed him to inspect it. After taking inventory of it's growth, he walked slowly around the animal and inspected it's health now. He felt along it's rib cage, then the creatures spine. Checking the neck, and then the lower legs, and finally around it's genitals. Despite his best attempts, his face almost always soured when he did this, and Temari was unable to completely stifle a laugh at the sight of his expression. Finally finished with his inspection, he let the creature go, handing it a small treat from pouch.
He turned and motioned to her.
" Come on. Just come up slowly." he said in a hushed tone.
She walked up cautiously until she was at his side. Taking her by the wrist, he led her up to the rest of the pack. Since his scent was intermingled with her own, it gave the deer more reason to trust her, however to do so cautiously. A Doe and a Fawn approached, and with his guidance, allowed her to pet them gently. She stroked the head and nose of the Fawn, gently caressing the small stubs for antlers it was growing. A wide, cheeky smile began to run across her lips as her eyes softened, and for one of those very few and rare times, Shikamaru saw how gentle of a woman she could be.
For his own sake, he thanked the heavens that it was dark and that she was preoccupied. Otherwise she might have caught him staring, or at least the blush he was beginning to glow with.
Letting go and turning away, he decided to make some small talk and take advantage of this rare and strikingly appeasing moment.
" So…what did you want to talk to me for?" he asked.
She was so enamored with the deer that she almost didn't hear him. Temari took a step towards the smaller animal and placed her arm around it's neck, scratching it gently while turning her attention towards her companion.
" This place is amazing. I know I haven't spent a lot of time in forests, but to me they've all looked the same until now. Who knew it…" she remarked, still smiling, though her features falling back to her more usual sharpness.
" It's a special place. There's a lot to these woods after all. The antlers from the dear provide a strong counter agent to the different types of food pills, as well as for just good general medicinal purposes. Many types of plant life grow here a well." he explained, leaning over into a nearby bush and picking something out of it, " These berries here? They're as tough as leather on the outside, but the juice from them makes for a good antiseptic."
She nodded, taking a glance around at some of the other wildlife. The light had faded and they were only guiding themselves by the moonlight that shined through the canopy of the trees.
" So how was the caravan mission?" she asked.
" You want the report version that I had to file? Or just a quick once over?" he asked in return.
" Just tell me about the damn mission." she commanded light heartedly.
" Nothing to talk about on the way there. Kiyara was quiet for most of the first day, thank god." he remarked.
" You two getting along better?" she asked, innocently enough.
" I suppose. I still don't like her…but she's something else, I'll say that much. Once we got there, we met up with Kankurou, who has mastered the art of 'God Hands' or whatever the hell it was. Didn't find out it was him and his puppets until after the fighting that night. Once the caravan was settled, we took places all around, and before we had to finally set up a watch, the Rogue Ninja's came. We dispatched most of them, but I think their leader and a couple of his buddies got out of there. Afterwards, Kankurou revealed himself and we headed home without further incident. Oh…and Kankurou made a pass at Kiyara…which she slapped him for. And that about covers it." he spoke.
The Suna woman gave a slight chuckle at the end, knowing full well about her younger brothers tact with the female species.
" So are you ready for the trip out to Suna? It'll be your first time, right?" she asked with a smirk.
" Why? Planning to be my tour guide and get me lost?" he retorted with a smile.
" That'd be too easy. Though I remember the first time you had to chauffeur me around Konoha. Maybe I'll get you back for that travesty." she laughed.
Shikamaru was grinning widely now, which was a little unusual for him. But he always liked these times with her. They could have an intelligent conversation, then turn around and just poke fun at each other. In short, he just liked being around her. Suddenly, the gravity of their situation dawned on him, and the weight of the knowledge that the two of them were alone, together, in the woods, at night, fell upon his chest. Self consciousness descended over him and he began to stumble over his words.
" So…" he began to say, though his tongue was failing him.
He had a topic, or at least a sentence, but his mind blanked and he was left staring back at her looking about as cool as Naruto did when he won that Genin Olympics some years ago. Her gaze pierced through him as a smirk began to creep across her face. He was becoming flustered and she was elated to know this.
" So…what? Cat got your tongue? Cause that'd be a first." she joked.
" Shut up…it's nothing. My mouth's dry and it makes it hard to talk." he whined, giving some kind of excuse.
Temari's gaze on him could penetrate his excuse, so he decided to just try and get it out.
" So…what are you doing for the festival?" he asked, a little shakily.
" What kind of question is that?" she asked with a barb of sarcasm.
" Never knew there were different kinds of questions. Well I guess this goes under the curious nature. But seriously, are you going to the festival tomorrow evening?" he asked, straightly.
" I suppose so." she stated nonchalantly, then she flashed her teeth through her smirk, " Why?"
He opened his mouth, hoping his brain would come up with the words to match the speed of his speech, however since the first thing out of his mouth was nothing more than a lengthy " Uhhh", he found himself rubbing the back of his neck hoping to come up with something.
A twinge of anticipation shot through her body, as her mind raced to put words to his body language.
" Temari…" he began, before his eyes widened suddenly.
Immediately, the Fawn in her arms stirred, as well a the rest of the deer that had gathered. The large buck rounded up the Fawn, forcing Temari back in an intimidating display. The sudden bout of chaos gave her a chill of confusion, for which she took a couple of quick steps to Shikamaru's side in order to seek some sort of confirmation.
" Shikamaru…what's going on?" she asked straightly.
" Intruders. They've entered the forest and are making their way here quickly…" he said, looking away as if he was in some estranged contact with the forest itself.
" How do you know?" she asked.
" Anytime someone gets through the Genjutsu barrier, we Nara's know it. At this point, the forest will track them for me. However it seems that there's six of them…and they're moving fast." he said, with almost a hint of panic, " If you ask me…they're S ranked. At least most of them. The wards will do what they can, but I don't suspect they'll take too much fight out of any of them. Especially if they're working together."
" Then we need to get out of here." Temari suggested, giving a tug at Shikamaru's sleeve.
He nodded and the pair began to beat a steady retreat. Despite the speed they were traveling at, his face only seemed to grimace more.
" They're catching up. This is ridiculous…there's no way they should be traveling this quickly. One of them has to be a tracker, or some kind of wilderness expert." he summarized.
" So what do we do? Stand and fight? Because even I won't take my chances with that." said the blond.
He took only a moment to think, while being chided by Temari about taking too long in coming up with something.
" Alright…you head that way. And don't stop either. Get out of the wood and go inform Tsunade. Get her, then get Kakashi, and then anyone else you can think of after that. Tell them what's going on!" he commanded.
" But what about you? You can't fight them, you won't even be much of a distraction…" she protested.
" I've got a couple of cards to play still. These are Nara woods after all. Hopefully that'll buy enough time. If not…I've got one other trick I can try…" he said, trailing off.
He sounded rather grave for that last part, lending the young woman to feeling of dread.
" What could you possibly have that could hold them off?" she grilled.
Shikamaru gave her a hard shove in the direction he instructed her in.
" GO!" he shouted.
His voice was booming and so commanding at that point that her body gave it authority and took over before her mind could protest it anymore. He turned and made preparations to intercept the Shinobi as Temari made a B line for the edge of the woods. Before long, the unknown assailants were within a few minutes of Shikamaru's position, and so he made a series of hand signs to activate seals in his area.
What are they after? What the hell is so important that it took this many of them to go in? Are they after Hidan? But only Tsunade, Ino, and Choji know about that. No one else should know…
His mind raced on as other thoughts flew through his mind.
They're not poachers. Moving too fast. They aren't fleeing anything, cause there's nothing chasing them. They couldn't be after…no. Absolutely not. Only a small handful of people know that it's here…
Unfortunately he didn't have anymore time to think, as he stood out in the open, a quintet of Shinobi dropped from out of the tree's and in front of him. He scanned them with his eyes, taking a head count and comparing it to the information fed to him by the forest. Shikamaru's gaze pierced the area as he searched for the sixth Shinobi that had entered into the forest uninvited.
Two women, and three men. Of the three men, two of them looked and dressed in a similar fashion to the Rogue Ninjas that they had encountered back in the Land of Wind. They carried no real mark, nor did they give off any sort of large chakra signal. A quick assumption of them would be that they were the subordinates of the man standing slightly in front of them, whom Shikamaru recognized from the Bingo Book as Takoro Yashimanji.
The man was tall, probably a good few inches over Shikamaru's head. Gray colored skin and thinning brown hair that hung down to his shoulders with a utility belt strapped across his bare chest. Other than a pair of black pants, he wore a pair of black gloves with large metal studs in the knuckles. His face was thick with a strong chin that jutted forwards and had a wide, ugly nose. His eyes were the color of solid granite, and his lips were stretched into a frown upon seeing Shikamaru.
Shikamaru also recognized the two females. One was from the Bingo book, while the other was the daughter of an aristocratic family from out of Kirigakure.
The woman he knew from the Bingo book was Juunko the Shinagami, known well for her use of a large scythe and vicious nature. Her hair was midnight blue, though at night like this, it was hard to distinguish from the darkness. It was dressed up and held together with a pair of hair pins, though was still long enough to hang down to her shoulders. Similar to Yashimanji, she had pale skin, although it was not gray in pigmentation. She bore a sharp chin and slightly narrow eyes, while her brows sloped steeply. Her whole body was covered up in a stealthy jumpsuit, aiding only in making her more difficult to see.
And then there was the large scythe that was attached along her back by a small harness, but that was probably her most obvious feature.
The second woman hunched down in a beast like nature, with both hands and toes pressed firmly on the ground. Her name was Seiko Uwatari, of the Uwatari house in Kirigakure, very comparable in stature to the Hyuuga in Konoha. The first thing he had to notice about her was that she wore a pair of long brown gloves with small claws protruding from the fingertips. Attached at her wrists were a pair of thick blades with a harness attaching along her arms in order to make them extend. With short red hair and her face hidden behind paint, he could make out nothing more than her shreds of clothing that she wore underneath a large animal skin cloak. A gleam from her face revealed a small pair of fangs, reminding him of Kiba.
Other than the two subordinates, these were all S class Shinobi, and likely so was hidden sixth.
I can bet that Yashimanji and his subordinates are here to kill me…but why are these other three here? Maybe they don't suspect that I'm aware of their other member hiding out in those tree's over there. Seems like that knowledge is the only thing that's going for me right now. Guess I should try and buy some time.
" Are you guys lost?" the Shadow Nin asked while standing relaxed.
" Just a little camping expedition." stated Juunko.
" I see. Well, I'll ask that you leave. These are my families woods…and no one is allowed here. Sorry…it's just kind of how it goes…" he stated nonchalantly.
" Enough of this nonsense. I'll make you pay for what you did to us back at the border!" shouted Yashimanji as he tightened his fists.
" Oh…so that was your little gang? Sorry about that. A good friend of mine runs a flower shop…maybe I can send something nice as an apology?" Shikamaru goaded, trying to come up with a strategy.
The large man grit his teeth as the muscles in his body bulged. As he prepared to strike, Seiko spoke up.
" Now Yashimanji…you're working for us." she reminded him, standing up off her hands and more like a normal human being, " We need this one alive for now."
Shikamaru's eyes narrowed as he took in the comment.
They need information from me. I suppose that should be no surprise…but what is it that they're looking for…
" Alive huh?" he asked.
" No way! We want revenge!" shouted the first subordinate as he drew a Kunai and lunged for the spiky haired Jounin.
While he cleared the distance quickly, Shikamaru was able to parry off the Kunai by grabbing the mans own hand and giving it a strong twist to the left. With a strong jerk afterwards, he could feel the elbow dislocate from the socket, and with a quick spin while still grappling his arm, Shikamaru tossed him aside, and with a quick hand sign, a pool of quicksand appeared and devoured the man.
" I know I may not look like much, but give me a little credit." he replied with a frown, keeping an eye on the other subordinate and Yashimanji, who seemed to be seething at this point.
" My my. I guess the rumors about you being o skilled are true. No matter. We'll take you and that's that." said Juunko as she brought her scythe around, " I'm sure you know who I am little boy. So how about you make this real easy and come along quietly. Who knows…if your good…I'll give you a little treat."
Shikamaru sighed, and carefully reached into his pocket to pull out his cigarettes. As he lit it, he saw a flash of steel approach, prompting him to take a quick step backwards, just in time for it to narrowly miss him and split his cigarette down the middle.
" Jeez…can't you even let a guy enjoy his smokes?" he asked as he picked up the ruined tobacco product and tried to make it fit back together.
" Enough!" shouted Yashimanji again as he shot forwards, being trailed quickly by his subordinate.
Now having to be serious, Shikamaru opted to draw backwards in hopes to avoid the powerful fists of the Taijutsu master. Raising his hands, Shikamaru made a brief hand sign, then immediately a wooden log swung down from the tree's behind him, impacting into the pugilist. To his dismay, it shattered against his bare chest, garnering a wily grin from the powerful man.
" I am the same as the mountains. No manner of attack shall graze me in such a manner, puny man!" he shouted as he continued forwards.
Taking to the air now, Shikamaru leapt for a nearby branch while still under pursuit, however caught the glinting of the long blade of Juunko's scythe awaiting him, and so made another hand sign causing a vine to drop down for him to swing away on. Swinging through the air and being tailed now by the three Shinobi, he realized that Seiko was nowhere to be seen, although the forest gave away her location to being almost overhead. Her shadow swooped across the ground, much faster than everyone else, and before her claws would descend on him, Shikamaru made another hand sign and a tree branch just happened to whip outwards and knock the woman a dozen yards back.
Deciding that stealth would have to be key here, he dropped a couple of smoke bombs to confuse his pursuers as he took refuge among the trees. Once the smoke cleared, the four Shinobi glanced around for his whereabouts.
" Not bad. But we don't have to see you to find you." Juunko called out, bringing her scythe around and cutting through a pair of large trees. As they fell, Yashimanji leapt up and gave them both a strong kick, breaking them into splinters in an amazing display. The second subordinate looked around, then began to make a series of hand signs. Recognizing a fire style, Shikamaru was quick to spring another trap, and with a hand sign to counter, the ground below the man gave out, and he dropped into a very deep pit.
" I see we have ourselves a real man of the wilderness. It doesn't matter though. They're just slowing us down anyways…" Seiko called, slicing through some nearby bushes in their search.
The earthen skinned man turned to his ally and was quick to get in her face.
" Do not discredit my men! They were brave and strong!" he declared.
" Brave, strong, and dead. Don't forget that." she stated in challenge.
Yashimanji reached down and took the woman by her throat and gave it a gentle squeeze, then loomed forwards in an intimidation effort.
" It's your fault this has happened. You provided us with inadequate information on this job! Now because of you my men are dead! What do you have to say for yourself?" he growled.
" We paid you for a job, and you'll do it. They lost their lives because they were weak and careless." Seiko goaded with a grin.
While they began to internally fight amongst themselves, Shikamaru took a moment to activate his Shadow Sewing technique, allowing his shadowy tentacles to travel slowly along the ground. He directed them to swarm around the area as quiet as he could, in order to attempt a flanking maneuver.
" Enough. If you wont come out…" Junko called, pulling back her scythe, " I'll just have to clear the area! Massive Harvesting Slice!"
As the blade of her weapon came back around, it seemed to grow in width as she swung it recklessly. While Seiko jumped out of it's way, the blade slammed into Yashimanji, knocking him down, however not seeming to be able to pierce his skin. The attack wasn't large enough to reach Shikamaru's position, however it did clear a good thirty foot radius. As she began to take a second swing, the tentacles from his Shadow Sewing Jutsu shot up and lunged for her and her weapon. Latching on, they constricted her, and the weapon, forcing her into a standstill. Seiko made a quick pass by and cut a few of them off, however more came in their place.
Yashimanji was quick to get back up and began to wreck the area in hopes of looking for Shikamaru. As Juunko began to break free of their grip, a trio of shadows shot out from the ground and took hold of all three Shinobi's. Immediately, looks of confusion spread to all of their faces.
Shadow Possession Jutsu is a success.
" Wha…what the hell is this?" the pale man shouted as he struggled to try and get his body to move.
The other two followed the same, however were unable to move. Shikamaru's voice rang out from the shadows of the tree's, seeming to come from everywhere.
" It's Shadow Possession Jutsu. Unfortunately you're now mine…" he said, as his eyes scanned for that remaining Shinobi.
Still unable to see her, he made a quick sign and prompted a shadowy hand to rise from their shadows and place itself on their necks. Before the squeezing could begin however, he felt something bind around his own.
" I'd suggest you release them." stated a calm female voice from just behind him.
His eyes widened as his mind tried to figure it out.
" I'm a tracker. The wilderness is my home. So fooling the seals you have placed over these woods is second nature to me." she hushed, pulling him up from his crouching position and onto his feet.
He was still unable to tell what was wrapped around his neck, though by it's varying thickness, guessed it to be a whip of some sorts. A small blade from a Kunai was now stuck into the small of his back, just enough to break the skin and drive her point home.
" Well there goes that advantage…" he said with a sigh.
She chuckled slightly, then gave him a strong push forwards and out into the open.
" Release them." she commanded, tightening the coils around his neck as a threat.
Complying, he did as she asked.
" Good. Now strip." she stated.
" What? Here?" he asked, somewhat confused.
" Do it now or I'll pop your head clean off." she commanded again.
Allowing him a step forwards, he took off his vest, then unlatched the pouches he kept his equipment in, and tossed them aside.
" That's everything…now what?" he responded reluctantly.
" No way! Make him take it all off! Let's march him all the way back in his skivvies!" elated the Uwatari.
The woman holding Shikamaru hostage sighed heavily at her teammates antics.
" It's fine as long as we have all his equipment." she said, turning the Leaf Shinobi to face herself.
Coming into view, the woman was tall and slender. Her face was hidden behind a full mask, similar to that of an ANBU. As he had expected, she was using a whip to constrict his neck. Taking a step closer to him, she reached out and patted Shikamaru down, in search of any more weapons. Once satisfied, she motioned for him to begin walking.
" Keep your hands in the air where I can see them. Try to make any signs and you'll be sorry." she warned.
" Yeah yeah…" he replied, trying to come up with a plan.
What a drag…No equipment and now they've got me…if I try and use any Jutsu's I'm really gonna get it too. Damn it…think Shikamaru…
He glanced about the quartet of Ninja's, however felt the coils around his neck tighten up, realizing that the woman behind him was being rather serious about him not trying anything. Before he could sigh and mutter about how troublesome this was, a blast of wind roared through the trees and scattered all five of them down and across the ground. Shikamaru pushed himself upwards and darted for his vest. Once he slipped it on, he drew the Trench Knives from it's pockets.
" You should have gone back for help you troublesome woman." he called out as his assailants began to stand back up.
Dropping down from overhead, the young blond with the large fan made herself finally known. Wearing a wide grin, her fan opened, allowing the three stars upon its surface to stare back menacingly.
" Now if I'd have done that, who do you think would have come to rescue you?" she said with a heavy sarcasm, " Either way…I thought you had some kind of plan."
" If help isn't coming, and it's just the two of us…then yeah. I do. I just didn't want to resort to it." he spoke, holding up his hands, " This'll take a bit of time…can you hold them off?"
Her grin widened. Four S class Shinobi's and it was her job to hold them off. It was in idiots gamble, but there was some part of her that was enjoying the idea of such a test of her abilities. Her mind was much like his, and was working in over drive, as she had to protect her friend and maintain that Shadow Clone she released.
" If it's time you want…" she said as she drew back her fan, " then I'll give you all I have!"