His head was throbbing when he finally came about. His body wasn't feeling too fresh either as he felt the torment littering his body. His limbs felt awfully sore and bruised. He groans in dismay, finally opening his eyes and blinking them as he cleared his blurred vision.

He sat up slowly, still feeling a bit more groggy.

"You're awake."

His friend's voice greeted him.

He stretches first to iron out the sleep and check if his body was still fully functioning. After the short few exercise, he leaned back against the tree, yawning. "Mm." He hummed, rubbing his eyes.

"Tch, so carefree."

He turns around to meet the other's inquisitive look, always hidden behind such a dull expression.

He opened his mouth to speak but stopped abruptly when a thought strike him. Why is Shikamaru here? He stared at him for a few seconds before his eyes widened. He quickly scanned their surroundings.

Large trees embraced them everywhere, rocks and flowers filtered the ground, and the heavy sound of water running filled their ears. He didn't expect the flora and fauna that thrived around them.

They lost quite the amount of green since the beginning of the battle. They had anticipated this problem knowing the probability of jutsu after jutsu grazing the ground. They knew the land would turn void of nature, so he really was lost. It shouldn't look like this. So where the hell were they?

This couldn't be the mindscape. He'd met a few of the tailed beasts in their mindscape and this was not like any of those. He doubts Madara's should be any different.

"Why are you here? Where are we?" He finally voiced out. His legs recoil back, his feet flat on the ground, his biceps tightened and hands fisted while his jaw slackened. His instincts hadn't told him to run, but might as well get ready in case. He remembered that much from his travels with Jiraiya, and also trying to avoid Tsunade's fists. He almost wanted to smile at thought. Why were the Sannins so unstable?

The other boy watched the blonde quickly shift defensively. He raised a brow at it and began to look around. As far as he's checked, there was no trouble. He realized, then, that the boy was rather cautious.

He grinned. If it had been some few years back, he doubts the boy would react quickly nor appropriately. He'd probably talk him off, or worse, start running without thinking about anything. His smug smile fell when he realized that maybe they should be running. "I'm not too sure." He admits to both questions, turning back to the forest. "It feels oddly familiar."

"They didn't..." Naruto trails off. His eyes discern his worries. His concern dripped as he refused to continue.

"Fail? No. It proceeded accordingly…"

"So?"

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders and leaned back against the tree. His head throbbed from either the jutsu or their fall. His body felt a little beaten up and bruised, especially his back. He sighed. They need a course of action but his state of mind is still a bit muddled to think of any decent ones.

The wind blows the grass and trees, bring it into a slight sway.

He pursed his lips, mind reeling from earlier. "Do you mean it?"

The other raised a brow. "Mean what?"

"Being afraid."

Naruto elicits a small smile, looking down on his hands. He clasped them loosely as he fiddle with his thumb. "Yeah." He whispered audibly.

He didn't look like he was happy to admit it. Rather, he was content to confess.

Shikamaru thought about it as he stared up to the sky, the light pouring from the spaces between the leaves. He really didn't want to pry, but there's only so much he could find out by himself without asking. He tried, "of what?"

The question made the blond straightened against the tree, jerking his spine uncomfortably. He hadn't expected the follow-up question. It was a revelation he himself couldn't come to terms until much later.

He thought that being afraid meant being a coward—that being afraid only held him back and brought him to his knees. He thought it faltered his strength, in his resolve. Boy, was he wrong. "I told you already."

"Mm." The young Nara hummed. He threw his hands behind his head as he leaned against it. He thought about it—the words this friend had sincerely left behind. It leaked with utmost genuine feelings, but it felt like there was something else. Like he'd been missing a part of that. He shrugs it off and turns to his side, flinching as he felt his body ache.

Naruto pulled a leg closer and leaned his forehead against it. There were a few things in his mind that he'd like to talk about but Shikamaru wasn't the person he was willing to discuss it with. He wishes to speak about it with someone else, but there was nobody around. Even more, he doesn't think he could talk about it since he only wanted to share it with the person involve. He sighs. He was suddenly aware that perhaps it wasn't a person whom he could talk to. He smiled.

He felt a strong muzzy ache in his head, something that didn't usually occur, as he focused in reaching that large dark place. And before he knew it, he was in his own mindscape.

"Kurama!" He shouted in the dark. The water sloshes at his feet as he scurried around, looking for the humongous fox. "Kurama! Oi!"

He waited and called out and waited and called out and waited. Nothing came. Not even that heavy grunted growl the beast always greeted him with. Where is he? His fists clenched as his chest began to feel heavy.

As far as he was told, the jutsu would only take maybe a tail or two worth of chakra. Nobody told him he was going to lose Kurama.

'You would end up buying time for him while he generates the chakra he lost.' He remembers Tsunade giving him that stern look. (Of course, he knew why she was like that—hiding her worries through strict commands). He'd end up needing to pull some strings without using Kurama's chakra which isn't exactly easy considering who his opponent would be.

But that was the only consequence he was told— Kurama wouldn't be able to save him or aide him the moment he started regenerating. That didn't mean he would stop feeling the beast's presence. He didn't hear any 'oh and you might lose him completely'.

Did they miscalculate the losses? No. No. He felt Kurama's chakra during the technique. The amount awed him like always, but he's experienced using more chakra than that. He couldn't have lost him over that technique, can he?

His mind began to replay the short episode concerning the plan. Kurama had been talking to him, teasing him and joking around about how he'd probably mess something up. He remembers him laughing at him as the Hokage Platoon, Ino and Hinata began going through a series of seal. He was there. He was giving him that brazen grin as he lends his chakra.

So, Where the heck did he go?

"-ter! Mister!"

His eyes shot opened to a sight of a brown haired girl. She had two purple streaks that decorated her cheeks. She was short, looking more like around Konohamaru's age, with round brown eyes. But nothing caught his eyes better than the forehead protector that gleamed against the sun. Konoha.

Seriously, where is he?

"Shika…" He called out, his eyes plastered to the metal. He hadn't seen it for sometime as everyone opted to use the Shinobi metal plate. And he'd been the only one using the konoha one for as long as he remembers. Maybe someone was playing a trick on them? Or maybe this is some kind of genjutsu?

"Are you okay?" She crouched down, hands reaching halfway as if to check his forehead.

He sensed no negative energy. Then he quickly reminded himself, Kurama wasn't present at the moment. Of course, he'd sense nothing. He was suddenly aware of how grueling this situation might turn out. He really should start being nice to the fox, he reprimanded himself.

"Rin, get back." And the girl pulled her hand back, listening to the squeaky male voice.

This time, Naruto was able to peel his eyes off the girl and turn to the side. His eyes widened when he found Shikamaru restrained with wire strings.

He wasn't nearly as surprised as he set his eyes on the man holding him. There really was nothing else to do but gape at the sight. The last time he's saw the man was before they retreated and he supposes Itachi managed to end whoever was summoning the undead.

He thought he'd never see this man again.

No. Impossible

"Sensei," the girl in front of her calls out then tapped his own forehead protector and breaking him out of his reverie, "they're from Konoha." She claims.

The man gave a rather frank look. He shoved the wire in his hand to the boy beside him.

This can't be happening.

A silver-haired boy that oozed arrogance (he wanted to roll his eyes at this) stood beside his friend. The boy wore a mask to cover half of his face, a black t-shirt with white stripes on the arm, all matched with black pants. He had additional sleeves and metal arm protectors. The whole look reminded him a whole lot of Sasuke that it was almost hilariously uncanny until he realized who this boy was similar to. Or who this boy is supposed to be.

That same, old confidence he exudes as he cocks his hip to the side and placed a hand on it. He was relieved to see that the boy had no Icha-Icha book on him, but he shouldn't assume.

He had one hand tightening the wire every time Shikamaru squirmed. Yeah. Whatever was going on, he was sure who this brat is. There's no mistaking that dull look in his eyes.

Kami, he was so adorable. He's so different from that bossy, perverted old man he knew now. He sighed.

He tore his eyes from the boy then to the currently restrained friend.

Seeing that far-off look sitting on his face made him all the more annoyed.

Where were they?