I am so tempted to write this chapter... Urghh... I have to put iBlue Lilies(my other Gintama ongoing fanfic) a chapter late after my others one. I feel bad for the few readers waiting for that story ;-; But man I REALLY, REALLY want to write this one. Promise myself to write a long chapter for the other fanfic then... :D....

Thanks a lot to Aryan-chan for her review. It makes me happy to know her opinion, and now I opened up anonymous review... And from the previous author's note(I guess Imma call it that) I probably sounded like a review obsessed freak but please understand I am so nervous updating a chapter each time. I don't know what kind of stupid mistakes I made because I'm always too lazy to do it, then after re-reading I find whole bunch of crap and feel like ughh how the heck did they feel when they read that? Other than that I'm just really a newbie trying to find opinions and improving myself in writing the story, after all English is my second language and I have never ever write a long continued story before. It's a hard commitment and a big challenge, I just hope I can handle it and not that disappoint the readers... :'(

Well after all that blah-blah if you read it at all, the story is now set ugh, 7 years later. Naruto is now 16 and Sasuke is 17 along with most other characters. The true drama starts in here(Oh, the hate and love of Shoujo Beat!).

This chapter starts with Shikamaru. He will be a supporting character that I would like to show a lot from now on... After all he is a wise man. Hehehe...

Terms to know again:

Yahuan: Girl servants

Jingchen: capital where the palace is located

Dachen: The officials that served the Emperor

Xiangqi: Chinese chess

Go: An ancient board game with black and white pieces to play, eh, anyone ever read Hikaru no Go for reference is great

"Everyone has a hard song to sing": a phrase that means kind of everyone has their own story, but in Chinese reference :D...

WuGong: meaning kung-fu, but no, back in Chinese time not everyone said kung-fu, it's wugong.

In the great time of peace, the golden age for this dynasty starts in wealth and glory.

The four great countries's relations remained stable, while as within the countries there are still many stories and scandals to tell, everything resolves so that it's almost like the heaven itself.

And we begin from here.

* * *

Women are troublesome things.

Since childhood this thought has been Shikamaru's mind, after all he is what he ever so irritated mother called "precocious child". He doesn't like it how they're bossy, like his very own lovely mother is, and his father just a slapped-back man who just goes along with it. Neither does it help when they're just ignorant, the yahuans in his household can go with a real brain once in a while, and they did all try to impress him with some kind of stupid trick. He was not a troublesome kid, he can say that straight out. But the girls treated him like some damned delicate artifact that's going to break when he waves his hand around. After all he is within the many titles of Nara's Prodigy and extremely intelligent, said to be the wisest in all Jingcheng. 2 years old talk like an adult, 3 years old remember the thousand poems by the previous great generations, 4 years old beat the xiangqi master, 5 years old learned Go and 6 years start to write poems of his own -- rumors spreads like the spring's flower's seeds distributed through out the fields, though most things are based on facts. But from early life he learned in the system of this government, no, to say in this world to survive the real smart ones don't show off, or jealousy can soon come in killing intents. He learned to keep it down and kept his personality laid-back, maybe every so often give a smart comment or two, but don't draw too much attention to yourself. It's not like the Nara wasn't famous enough by the family title, but the government's place is war, dropping your head it a matter of a sentence slipped or wordings being mistaken. He's seen it happen, close friends died in vain and innocent by treacherous officials in the same league. It's too much for a child to handle, but he went through it anyways, and picked up countless lessons and tips, so much he sees the whole thing about being a dachen ridiculous and dangerous. The system itself was never clean, influenced by the mundane culture and always huddled with malicious Dachen that wanted the money, positions and glories. Though, it doesn't come useful to the matter right now, him trying to get out this smelly brothel full of engrossing women -- and he not exaggerating -- all of them came up to him and attempted for flirt or to say hormone aroused. They would only do that to the nice dressed ones that can give them bag full of money or the good looking ones. He think he will take neither, really.

The gate is near with more men rushing through. Faeries Landing, definitely worth the name it is given, the Heaven for Men -- that actually enjoyed the companies of women.

Which he would not be counted in, would he now?

The guard whose name was Lee in tight green robe waved at him as he came over, and as Shikamaru took a deep breath of the fresh air outside he almost choked.

"Are you okay, Lord Shikamaru?" Lee patted his back lightly, or so he tried to. Shikamaru felt the strong hits on his spine and yelped.

"Gentle, gentle!" His dark brown hair was tied to a pony tail on the back of his head which is swinging slightly, and he sit his butt right down on the ground ignoring the factor that it was dirty. Damned hell he didn't want to go to some brothel. He personally found the young Huang Tai Zi of this emperor's thinking and action taken in as impenetrable and unreadable, but since they were to say on the terms of talking and often playing Go or xiangqi in a Huang Tai Zi and future-to-be Dachen relationship, Sasuke invited him to come to this brothel. Accompany? Invitation? No, it was a command. He had no right to say no. Though he didn't think his mother would be happy hearing this, but to his surprise she insisted since he is a year away from adulthood he should, and must go to meet some women, as she words it. If she doesn't think he knows it's all the effort to get close to the Huang Tai Zi, his mother must be insanely stupid. It was all anyone could think of, to win the favor of the emperor's family.

All in all it was a drag, troublesome. It's not like Sasuke whose name was well known for his abilities with women on bed and in relationships needed someone to guild him, even if it's Shikamaru who is said only the Huang Tai Zi were more intelligent then he is. He's not good with women, didn't like them, didn't want anything do to deal with them. Sasuke probably just wanted to pick on him a little bit, have his fun. Shikamaru sighed. That does sound like the doing of the Huang Tai Zi, likewise.

"Oh, sorry, Lord Shikamaru!" Lee jumped a few feet away and moved his hand behind his back. "I'm never too well at controlling my strength.."

"I have taken noticed." Shikamru shook his head. "And dropped the whole lord thing, would you? I'm not so much into that kind of thing, if you can't see it already..." His head is throbbing from all that strong perfume.

"Yes, Lord Shikamaru... I meant...." Lee wasn't quite catching on to these things. Everyone knows to pay respect to the ones with power, though Shikamaru as it seems wasn't quite strick about it. "So... It's your first time here, right?" He was not all the lord type of guy either, and he disliked the royalties that treated common people like dogs, and by all the rumors and talking to Shikamaru he confirmed the young son of the Nara family was indeed a clean and straight-backed person(there goes the old Chinese talk, straight didn't mean the way it does here but that you're a person that knows right and wrong etc). "You will get use to it someday."

"I don't see how a guy like you could get along with this." Shikamaru looked to Lee, whose face told instantly he was the nice guy that would carry an old woman across the street. No way in heck would he think someone like Lee, who greeted him twenty minutes ago into the brothel and looked so out of place would work somewhere like here.

"I need as much work as I can, really." Lee scratched his head. "Lady Tsunade picked me up from the streets when I was a baby. She said I had a twisted leg, and with some of her treatments I turned out alright." Smiling shyly, feeling a little embarrassed to spill it out to someone he just met. "I been working here since I was young and trying to find other work along the way. It's a shelter and a place to go."

"See, everyone has a hard song to sing." Shikamaru nodded in a sympathetic manner. Tsunade was known also for her kind heart and background in medicine, along with the quick temper. "It's just hard out here, huh?"

"Pretty much." Lee sits down next to him, all the men were still bashing through the gate. "Sometimes I got to clean up some things with some trouble causing customers, so I learned some basic wugong, and I can go alright."

Shikamaru then noticed how Lee was well built, and from knowledge background in medicine and some wugong himself, he knew Lee had potential. Maybe sometime he could find him a master to teach him a bit of it and get out of this place. Anything better to get your soul tainted in working in such place. Then again, it was a drag. He had no obligation to do it, and he was never known to himself as a nice guy. Thinking about it, he decides he will do it if the right time comes... could be never could be soon. That's just the kind of guy he is.

"...And with all the customers coming everyday along with the Huang Tai Zi coming every so often, the business goes okay, pretty good, actually." Lee continued.

"Tch." Shikamaru wasn't thinking too high of it. "The Huang Tai Zi, huh?" If someone would have heard him talking like this, they could use it against him as a weapon to kill, even.

"It was rumored he hated women in childhood, but at the age of 10 after he first went to this brothel with his older brother, he started to requesting to come back more and more. Only this one, though. I see him around a lot. Seems like you're dragged along today."

"Ha. Can only wish for worse, can't I?" Shikamaru sighed. "It's not like he doesn't come here to meet all the women.. Just one."

There then Lee goes silent. He knows who Shikamaru is talking about. And with that Shikamaru can only guess that was a touchy area.

"Man, that woman may look okay, but she probably is not worth it--"

"Sakura is a very demure and beautiful girl!" Lee rose his voice and couple men gave him a look, he flushed and kept his head down, obviously he wasn't expecting an outburst from himself either. But he can't let anyone bad mouth Sakura. It's a love since childhood, and he might as well get his head disconnected with his neck if the Huang Tai Zi heard this from him. He knows there is no chance for him, but it doesn't mean he will stop.

"Hold up man, I don't mean it like that." Shikamaru raised his hand in request of peace. "I mean I don't really know her.. But her friend, what's her name, the one with the long yellow hair? Ino I think? She was assigned to serve me and not Sasuke Huang Tai Zi and boy she looked she wanted to kill. I had to get myself out of there too. Psht, Sasuke Huang Tai Zi was holding his laugh, too." Lee still stared at him in an unpleasant manner, his huge black eyes goggling Shikamaru, but then broke into laugher.

"Ino did that, huh?" Lee shook his head slightly. "She and Sakura is been all over Sasuke Huang Tai Zi forever. They had a contest of who's hair was longer when they were young because there was a rumor back then that the young Huang Tai Zi liked women with long hair. Actually, all the girls had a competition over it. Except Huang Tai Zi never showed much interest to anyone but Sakura." Lee had the proud look on his voice though his voice was a bit sad. Proud the fact that the girl he likes wins the favor even the cold emperor's son, sad that he knows it means the more of impossible.

Shikamaru didn't really know how to respond. Smart as everyone says he is, on these things it's just a bit too much for him to handle. He did not answer and looked into the busy crowd, there he could see all the different classes that made up this society: the ones who dig through the restaurants' trash for food to survive, the ones that bargained over some kind of meat for sale, the ones that bought things to show off though they don't have much brain in their head, and the ones that walked with their head up high because of their birth to nobility or the wealth they have. It's a huge stretch between people, distance can't be enclosed. It was everywhere still power over power.

What a world to be living in, Shikamaru sighed.

And then something caught his eyes, something that probably wouldn't be seen in the crowd of people but more likely in a palace.

Neji Hyuuga and Hinata Hyuuga worked their way through the crowd in a slight rush but all together collected. No, more to say, people walked out of the way for them, so down their path was a clearing road. Their clothes were pure white, a color that stood out anywhere. Hinata was trailing along behind her older brother, the usual natural blush on her face, while Neji's expression was enough of a signal to tell you to back off. Besides, maybe you won't know the Nara clan as well, but the Hyuugas? In no way you can't not know them. Hinata was said to be a shy, pretty girl, and Neji was the protective one that was serious and handsome.

Lee stood up as they walked closer, and Shikamaru jumped up only now realizing they're walking towards their direction. The brothel. The heck? Lady Hinata and Neji daren? Faeries Landing? There was no connection at all, it went pass through Shikamaru's head.

"Neji daren, lady Hinata." Lee bowed. Neji waved his hand impatiently as in no need for this manner.

"You know me enough to that." But he didn't say it about Lady Hinata though, who was pacing a little behind him and her dress looked like butterflies carried by the light breeze. She nodded and smiled shyly to Lee, and to Shikamaru too.

"Neji daren." Shikamaru ready himself for a bow, he knew he can't skip this with Neji, but surprisingly enough Neji again waved his hand.

"Really, Shikamaru, you don't have to do that." Neji shook his head, his long, combed neatly black hair swinging a little. Though the Hyuuga's place was higher then the Nara's, usually it should be the lower dachen give a bow anyways, and who was Neji? The most strict manner person to meet in life. "But what are you doing here, Shikamaru? I ought to think you have better off things."

Like he should be talking, bringing his precious little sister along to the most famous brothel in the whole country of Huo. Shikamaru wasn't the type to deal with guys like this, but he answered anyways, or there might be a real problem between the Nara and the Hyuuga's soon. "Huang Tai Zi Sasuke felt for my accompany today to come here... I requested for some fresh air outside right now." He added the last part so it didn't seem like he ditched Sasuke, though no one would really dare to. He made his tone humble and chose his wordings wisely. There was just different ways of talking to talk to different people.

"Is that so?" Neji doesn't seem surprised at all, neither did Hinata. Shikamaru questioned why Neji would care to gather this information, but did not question it out loud. Neji turned his attention to Lee. "Lee, did he come here yet?"

He?

"No sir." Lee replied. "But it should be soon now, around this time."

On the word of that Hinata starts to stress over a strand of her hair, curling her finger around it and loose, and repeat. Her pale face become even more ruddy, and didn't know where to look. Shikamaru now know this inside talk, and whoever this person they're talking about is, Hinata's got the thing for him. He does not remember collecting rumors about Lady Hinata falling for anyone. Whoever it was he had to be worth the respect of the Hyuugas and Neji's. Though, meeting the person here and talking about him as if he comes here often does not make it sound like he was someone of nobility or someone Neji would choose. Then again he can't assume so quickly that Neji approved such things, though by the looks of it the boy whose caught lots of attention of women didn't look too mad, nor happy, on that fact. While the thought process went on and Neji kept talking, Hinata looked down the street, and her face turned red as an apple. Shikamaru looked to the direction she looked to, and saw him.

The boy stood out of the crowd even if he was in plain clothing and a had a sappy look to him of the poor. Can't miss the blonde hair anywhere, it was like a shine to all the tones of color in the crowd, much like the sun itself. The boy's eyes was the shade of the vibrant blue sky that shone brightly. The skin was not pale white like Neji or Hinata, who lived under the roof of the palace and well taken care of. His skin was honey-toned(oh use of words, please forgive me) and tan, obviously from outside under the sun a lot. He had a huge grin on his face that looks like it can brighten up anyone's day, and as he run through the crowd it's like he lit up the heavy air to something light. The height was buffed up by his messy blonde hair that stood on the edges, and the boy waved to the four of them standing in front of the brothel.

"Hey guys!" His voice was bright and light, cheery, much. Shikamaru made a list of things to describe this guy: too pretty and peppy and happy for a guy that's about his own age, too cheery and smiley for his own good probably, and when he said hey guys, did he include Neji too? He could tell by the clothes already this guy was not in the rich family zone, in fact almost rigid poor. His clothes even stood out, bright orange, nicely fittingly in with his hair.

"Naruto, you're kind of late today." Lee waved right energetically. Matching pair, Shikamaru thought. Naruto. Another weird name for a strange, yet say, exotic guy.

"Sorry sorry." He scratched his blonde hair. Not that it needed to be any more messy than it is now. "I had some work finishing up..." His thoughts seems to be drifting, and his gazed move from Lee to Hinata. "Hey Hinata!"

Hinata was startled her name being called, and Naruto's face suddenly closed up to her own was enough to make her yelp and run behind Neji. Naruto tilted his head, apparently unaware what he is doing.

"Naruto Uzmaki! How dare you flirt with Lady Hinata!?!" Neji was voice was stern and harsh, eyebrows traveling up his forehead. Hinata was still small behind Neji, flustered. They drew a lot of attention, Naruto just stuck out his tongue and give the I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about gesture, Lee waving his hands around trying to cool down the temper. By now Shikamaru can pin it down that Naruto known them since long to be able to make a face at Neji and not get punched instantly. And by the looks of it, it's either Naruto is pervert, or he is just that naive he can't tell if a woman likes him or not.

Shikamaru thinks he will go with second choice.

"Meet Lord Shikamaru, Naruto." Lee instructed the meeting. "Shikamaru, this is Naruto.."

"Hello." Naruto wasn't the shy type, nor was he the smart one to not to bow down instantly when Lee says Lord. "Uzmaki Naruto."

"Nara Shikamaru..." Shikamaru was getting tired of all of this. "Uh.. The Huang Tai Zi is waiting for me.. I think I have to go..."

"Huang Tai Zi is here again?!" Naruto wasn't too happy to hear this. "Ugh... Well should have known since Neji and Hinata is here... Were you dragged along?"

"Huh?" Shikamaru realized the question was appointed to him. "Oh, yes. Sasuke Huang Tai Zi wanted me to accompany him..." By the way Naruto talked, he can figure Neji and Hinata was here to tell him, no, warn him that the Huang Tai Zi has arrived. What use will that do to Naruto? If he was an outlaw, it doesn't matter if he sees the face of of Huang Tai Zi or not, he will be caught soon enough. Unless, he can't see the Huang Tai Zi because of a personal connection... That connection is unclear, but he doubt it is anything that's alarming, or Naruto would have fled the country long ago. The careless smile on Naruto face tells off his personality well enough. Shikamaru repeated saying he had to go back, though he didn't really want to at all. He turned around walking slowly as he could.

"Wait just one moment," Neji was quick enough to grab him. "Can I be assured you will not speak of this meeting?" The snow white eyes' empty pupil stared at Shikamaru, it was a warning, really.

"Of course not." Shikamaru gave an awkward smile and a small wave and kept on walking toward the gate rammed with men.

"Hey Shikamaru." His name being called again, he turned around and see the smiley face waving at him. "Thanks man!"

He gave a hand signal as way of saying it's nothing, and kept on walking forward, sighing and scratching his head. He just needs to go back upstairs to the ultra guest room, go back to the violent Ino girl, see that Sakura woman and Sasuke together, keep on drinking wine and pretend he's having a good time.

Sigh.

Everyday is just a drag.

Ehhh.

I don't know what to say much about this chapter other than man it was long and darn it sucked... a lot. I tried to write it so the thought process would seem like Shikamaru's.. but it was hard ._. Naruto is really easy to write with..

Uh next chapter comes Naruto and the stupid reasons i had to think of so he doesn't see Sasuke over the years.. I know this chapter looks shoujo no matter how you look at it, but please don't be disappointed, promising lots of yaoi later...

Thank you for reading. Please wait for the next chapter..