Okay people this is the next chapter of The Prince and The Slave. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed and added me to their faves and alert lists. It's really appreciated.
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The Prince and The Slave.
Chapter Twenty-Five.
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(Ino's P.O.V.)
We were still heading through the desert when I saw them. A group of the King's soldier's headed for the slave market. I saw Shikamaru tug his hood down further and I did the same. Prince Itachi was with them and he would definitely recognise us. I felt Kali shaking next to me, as she held on tightly to my hand. Then the soldiers were gone, and we carried on. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach about this.
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(Shikamaru's P.O.V.)
I watched Itachi's men ride away and I knew what was about to happen. Somehow, he had found out there was a spy there. He had the intelligence to figure out who that spy was. I looked at Ino, who stood with the little girl, Kali, and I made my decision quickly. Not giving myself a chance to rationalise through the pros and cons. "Ino, take the pack and keep going. I'm going back to get Idate." I told Ino. Ino's eyes went wide.
"I can't just let you go alone." Ino said. I felt myself pressing my fingers together as I always do when I'm thinking. "Shikamaru?" I heard Ino ask me, even though I wasn't looking at her.
"This information is important. Too important to lose. One of us has to leave. Also you have to consider Kali. Get her back to the base, and then tell Pein what's happening. Hopefully I'll be right behind you, but leaving Idate behind is disloyal and that's not how you treat a comrade. I'd find it hard to forgive myself if I turned away." I told Ino honestly. She nodded her understanding.
"Be careful Shikamaru. We're expecting you to come back you know." Ino said softly.
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(Ino's P.O.V.)
I watched Shikamaru nod and then he disappeared into a crowd of merchants. I held on to Kali's hand and we got going as fast as we could without drawing suspicion. I wanted to let Akatsuki know what had happened. Hopefully, Shikamaru would stay safe. At least that's what I hoped.
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(Shikamaru's P.O.V.)
I managed to sneak back towards Idate. I got back to the slave market without problems. However, finding Idate, and helping him, was becoming a great problem. Itachi was already searching the merchants and traders camps. I snuck up to where we'd found Idate earlier. There were two soldiers about to walk in, and Kabuto was with them. I'd always hated Kabuto, but it's usually too troublesome to bother with hate. I knew I had to wait for the right moment now.
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(Idate's P.O.V.)
I was sat shining up the shackles. I always hated this job. Of all the jobs, this one seemed to be the most pointless. Most slaves were locked up in cages so they didn't really need shackles at all. When they were bought out, they were covered in the dirt and grit of travelling on the road, so I'd never seen, how shining up the shackles, is going to make much of a difference. That was when I saw them. Fire Country soldiers. Their leader appeared to be Kabuto. I knew Kabuto well enough. He'd always come here with Orochimaru. Now Orochimaru was dead, I had hoped he'd disappear. I knew I wasn't that lucky.
"Raiko, the Crown Prince would like a word with you." Kabuto stated. I kept my face neutral, but inside I was tearing my hair out. He didn't know my real name thankfully, but I was sure that for the Crown Prince, Itachi, to want to speak to me that I was under suspicion. I stood up to leave the tent when I heard the sound of two men grunting and falling to the ground with a thud. Kabuto spun round and I was surprised to see the guy I'd handed information over to earlier. He had his sword pointed at Kabuto's throat.
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(Shikamaru's P.O.V.)
I pointed my sword at Kabuto's throat and smirked. "Sit down Kabuto." I said lazily. Kabuto glared at me, but he knew I was serious. He didn't even have his sword out so I knew he couldn't defend himself. He wouldn't be able to pull out a weapon quickly enough without me seeing it and killing him instantly. He sat down on the only chair in the tent. I kept my sword pointed at his throat. "Tie him up kid." I told Idate. I didn't know what name he might use here but I wasn't taking a risk of revealing it. Idate nodded and grabbed some rope. He tied Kabuto to the chair tightly. "Drag those guys in here too." I told Idate. He did what I asked without complaining. Then I grabbed the nearest thing I could find, a dirty rag, and stuffed it into Kabuto's mouth as a gag. He was trying to spit the overly large rag out, but I knew it would take him awhile. "We'd better get going." I told Idate. He grabbed his pack from near the seat and we were gone as quickly as I got there.
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(Itachi's P.O.V.)
I stepped into the tent of Raiko, the head merchant's servant. It was interesting to find that Kabuto and the two soldiers I'd sent with him had been disabled. I took the gag from Kabuto's mouth, as much as I was loathed to, so I could find out how the boy had escaped. "Who did this Kabuto?" I asked him. I put that extra icy edge into my voice that I always used when talking to Kabuto.
"It was Shikamaru Nara. He knocked out the two soldiers and kept a sword to my throat for the boy to tie me up." Kabuto replied. I wanted to laugh, but I kept my amusement to myself. After all, most people who knew of Shikamaru Nara, knew he was lazy. I, however, knew he was a genius. It was usually getting him motivated enough to do anything that gave an element of surprise. As I glared at Kabuto and told one of my own soldiers to release him, and deal with the two unconscious soldiers, I found that my own plan was going to have to change. But that was never a problem for me.
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Okay all, that's the end of this chapter. Gave Shikamaru a sorta brave hero streak. Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed it. Please R&R and let me know what you think.