Chapter 3

"I'm telling you, Naruto, I had nothing to do with it!" Kurama growled.

The giant fox's tails swished angrily through the air as he stood nose-to-nose with Naruto. His crimson fur bristled in defiance as he stared down his Jinchuuriki host. Naruto returned Kurama's stare unwaveringly, his arms crossed firmly over his broad chest.

Although Naruto did not truly believe that Kurama had intentionally caused the violent explosion of chakra, he was desperate to find answers. What had caused it? Naruto prided his ability to control his vast pools of power, to ensure that there was always balance inside him. The thought of not being able to maintain that control concerned him deeply.

Naruto knew better than anyone else how terrible his power was. He knew the destruction he could cause, the pain and fear he could bring.

His face was set, stern as marble as he glared at the fox demon. But when Naruto noticed darkness beginning to creep along the edges of his inner-world, he shook himself, forcing himself to release the tension in his shoulders. The shadows, as if in direct response, stopped their slow forward creep – but did not disappear entirely.

Finally, the blonde sighed. "Okay, I believe you, you know?"

"Good." Kurama barked, his flattened ears lifting slightly as he relaxed. "What the hell is going on, Naruto?"

"I wish I knew."

Kurama growled low in his chest, sitting back on his haunches. He stared down at the Jinchuuriki with his gleaming red eyes, saying; "All of a sudden, I felt my chakra being pulled out of my body. At first, I thought you were doing it on purpose. But then I realized that the reserve of our combined chakra was completely full, so I tried to stop the chakra flow right away."

Naruto's frown deepened. "I wasn't even using any chakra when it happened."

Kurama nodded slowly. "And this isn't the first time, either."

"No." Naruto turned and began pacing slowly in the silence of his inner-world. "But last time, it was just a sudden explosion of my normal chakra. This time it was yours? Argh, Kurama! I have no idea what the hell is going on, you know?"

"Me neither, kid." Kurama huffed. After a moment of thought, he added, "But it might help to stay out of your head for a while. Or rather, it might help to stay in your head for a while. Take a break from meditating, Naruto. Just use your own chakra for a while."

"But I can't!" Naruto protested, the speed of his pace quickening as he gestured angrily towards his stomach. "My chakra is our chakra now. I can't access one without the other – we're too closely bound."

"Fine," the fox growled. "But you need to ease up on the meditating. Maybe spreading yourself out like that is too much of a shock on your chakra system to be doing it every day, several times a day."

"Maybe," Naruto pensively replied, "But if I don't keep watch-"

"Naruto!" Kurama boomed. "That's what your shinobi are for! They keep watch so you can focus on your paperwork."

Naruto groaned, rolling his tense shoulders. Above them, a barely discernable shimmer of gold flashed momentarily. Kurama didn't miss it, his keen eyes narrowing suspiciously. But he remained silent, watching the air around Naruto like a cat watching a mouse hole.

"I should get back." Naruto finally said, rubbing his head guiltily. "Sasuke's probably freaking out."

"You're going to be in trouble." Kurama unhelpfully agreed.

"And he totally knew that something was up earlier. I'd made the grass grow back around me, after that first chakra explosion down by the river," Naruto mutter, obviously sulking. "But he definitely noticed that it was new grass. The fact that he didn't ask me about it makes me nervous."

Kurama sneered, flashing his pointed fangs. "Maybe he just got distracted by how pretty you are."

"How do I even begin to explain this to him?" Naruto whined, choosing to ignore Kurama's jibe.

"There's nothing to explain." The fox sighed as he lay down, staring at Naruto with one enormous eye. "We don't even know what's happening yet, so don't confuse matters by giving him a lame explanation. Just say – sorry, I can't seem to stop blowing myself up with chakra lately - and be done with it."

For a moment, Naruto stared at the fox blankly. And then his entire frame withered dramatically, his arms swinging as he leaned forward, mouth turned sharply downward.

"I am so dead." He whined.

"Yup." Kurama sounded almost gleeful. "Now run along home to Sasuke, kid."

With a deep sigh, Naruto opened his eyes.

He was perched high in the branches of an ancient spruce tree, the bark beginning to grow up around his legs as it reacted to his spiritual Sage energy. In order to conceal himself, Naruto had tapped into pure natural chakra, allowing it to flow through him as if he was the heart in a giant circulatory system.

The bark crunched loudly as Naruto suddenly stood, sticking his head through the needles to look up at the sky. Night had fallen as he sat there meditating, making sure that his chakra didn't violently flare up again. But his chakra network had been completely normal for several hours. At least for now, it seemed like whatever anomaly had cause the explosion of chakra was gone.

And yet, Naruto continued to stand there, staring up at the silent vastness of the sky. His eyes glazed, becoming unfocused as he watched the coldly blinking stars. They seemed so far away, so silent and lonely. Naruto suddenly felt a pang in his heart, a dull sensation of deep sadness. He dragged his eyes away from the heavens, focusing on the branches below him as he quickly jumped down to the forest floor.

By the time he glanced back up at the sky, the feeling was gone.

It was replaced by a feeling of dread that hung over Naruto's head like a raincloud. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Naruto began to walk slowly towards home – and the wrath of Sasuke.

Shikamaru was dreaming.

His clenched eyelids seemed to shiver as the orbs beneath them moved. A thick line of tension creased the skin between his arching eyebrows, and a grimace clung to his lips.

Even in sleep, Shikamaru couldn't escape from his mind.

Neji blinked slowly as he deactivated his Byakugan, silently debating with himself. He stood on the low porch at the back of the Nara residence, staring at the sliding door that led into Shikamaru's room. Any other time, he would have barged into Shikamaru's room to wake him without pause. But after their argument today, Neji suddenly felt uncomfortable with the idea. It was as if crossing that threshold would thrust him into enemy territory.

Neji sighed, turning silently away from the sleeping ninja's door. He wondered idly where Shikamaru's parents had gone, as he had not seen them in the house when he quickly scanned it with his Byakugan. As he reached the edge of the porch, Neji glanced up at the clear night sky.

The moon was a sliver of silver, allowing the stars around it to shine vividly against the inky black sky. Neji stepped off the porch, his long hair swinging with the motion of his walk as he made his way to the silent fishpond that occupied the centre of Shikamaru's mothers well-tended garden.

Neji looked down at the surface of the water, the reflected stars dancing as the fish disturbed the surface of the water.

The sweet scent of some medicinal herb drifted towards Neji, and he inhaled the smell deeply. Neji enjoyed the Nara District. It was always silent and calm here, with nature melding seamlessly with the welcoming homes. It was so different from the grand Hyuga residences, which always felt so coldly sterile and unfriendly.

With a miserable twist of his lips, Neji realized that he felt more at home standing in Shikamaru's dark garden than his did in his own bedroom back at the Hyuga residence.

Sighing deeply, Neji whispered, "I should go."

He turned, meaning to head back towards the Nara Forest. But then he froze, his spine stiffening as a foreign chakra wrapped around him and restricted his movement.

"Shadow Possession: complete." Shikamaru's lazy drawl drifted through the silent garden.

Neji held his breath. "This cannot be happening."

He steeled his expression into a cold, icy mask as he felt himself being forced to turn towards the Nara genius.

Shikamaru was leaning against the doorframe that led into his bedroom, which was a solid mass of darkness behind him. Even from a distance he looked utterly exhausted, but Neji could feel his sharp, intelligent eyes raking over him like razor wire. After a long moment, Shikamaru pushed off the doorframe and meandered slowly to the edge of the porch. Neji grit his teeth as he was forced to mimic the motion.

"So," Shikamaru began monotonously. "Any particular reason why you're lurking in my garden? Please tell me you aren't here to yell at me some more."

Neji scowled. "Why on earth would I come to your home in the middle of the night just to argue with you over something that happened hours ago?"

"You tell me." Shikamaru replied, eyes deceptively blank as he studied Neji. "You might have come to crack my skull open as payback for getting you involved in this Chunin Exam bullshit."

"Why on earth would I do that?" Neji asked, blinking in surprise.

Shikamaru smirked, infuriatingly calm and unreadable as he replied, "You're not exactly innocent when it comes to violent outbursts, Hyuga."

Neji's eyes narrowed as he began to fight against the chakra that was binding him. "Release me at once, Nara, or I shall do as you wish and knock you senseless."

Something dark flashed in Shikamaru's brown eyes. The skin around them tightened as he whispered, "At this point, Neji, I don't think I would stop you."

Stunned into stillness at those words, it took Neji a while to realize that the shadows that had been binding him were gone. He took a few deep breaths, watching silently as the exhausted Shikamaru sat down on the edge of the porch. He moved slowly, as if every movement pained him.

"Are you-" Neji began, before cutting himself off.

Shikamaru glanced up through his eyelashes, gaze as dark as the shadows that surrounded them as he snorted. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, my humor gets a little dark when I'm tired."

As if to illustrate his point, Shikamaru yawned widely. He leaned against one of the pillars that supported the porch overhang, eyes lidded as he watched the reflections on the pond.

Neji stood watching him in silent fascination.

Having just risen from bed to capture the intruder in his garden, Shikamaru's hair was a mess around his angular face. Half of it was pulled up, away from his forehead, but the rest hung around his neck in a smooth sheet that appeared black in the light. His features, although pulled tight by tiredness, were still graceful and appealing. But there was a sharpness about him, a jaded and jagged aura that alluded to his extraordinary intelligence.

He wore nothing but a torn old pair of track pants, hanging low on his hips. His feet were bare, and Neji watched for a moment as Shikamaru picked at the cool grass with his toes. But then his eyes strayed back up to Shikamaru's bare torso. He was surprised by how many scars disrupted the smooth fabric of Shikamaru's skin.

Neji never thought about Shikamaru getting hurt. He was too smart, too cool and reserved to risk injury. Any damage he took in a fight was calmly planned and calculated to reach a desired end, like sacrificing a pawn on a shogi board in order to reach the king. And yet, there before Neji's eyes was a patchwork of scars, each one deeper and larger than the last. Many were rough and marked by smaller lines, which indicated hastily sewn stitches applied in the field.

Neji's eyebrows pulled together as he felt a strange pinching in his throat. The thought of Shikamaru being hurt seemed…wrong somehow.

After a moment, Neji realized that he was staring, and shook his head quickly to clear it. Of all Shikamaru's faults, one thing about him had always amazed Neji. And that was his ability to fall asleep anywhere, under any conditions, no matter how much chaos surrounded him – and yet, he would immediately awaken to the slightest rustling of a bush, or the creaking of a floorboard.

"So, what are you doing here, Neji?" Shikamaru mumbled, his eyes still lowered. "Just stopped by to feed the fish?"

"No, actually." Neji said curtly, "I am here to discuss the exams."

"What a drag." Shikamaru grumbled, his eyelids shutting completely. He looked like he was about to fall asleep, right there on the porch. "Can't we talk about this tomorrow? Preferably in the afternoon."

Neji scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Honestly. How can you be so lethargic all the time?"

Without opening his eyes, Shikamaru pointed at his head. "You try lugging this thing around for twenty-one years, Hyuga, and then talk to me about lethargy. I think Naruto's got the right idea, you know, checking out from his head to meditate all the time. It's probably the only thing that's kept him sane."

Neji had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "In that case, I'll tell you what I came to tell you so that you can go back to sleep."

Shikamaru smiled faintly, his eyes still firmly closed. "Shoot."

Neji inhaled deeply, activating his dojutsu to quickly scan the area. When he didn't detect anyone, he deactivated the Byakugan and took several steps toward Shikamaru. "A few days ago," Neji whispered. "I was summoned to Naruto-sama's office to discuss a mission. He told me that a woman from the examiners council was coming to the village to assist in the organization process. My orders were to meet her at a teahouse along the main road and escort her back to the village, where I would serve as her guide."

"Why you?" Shikamaru asked, finally opening his eyes. "That's a Genin level mission."

"That's exactly what I said," Neji agreed. "In explanation, Naruto-sama informed me that Moon-Lee is not who she appears to be. When the exam council sent Moon-Lee's personnel file, Sasuke noticed gaps in her background information. And then, when he was presented with an image of her, he recognized her immediately."

Neji glanced around again before stepping even closer to Shikamaru, who was listening with rapture, his dark eyes sharply focused.

"She used to be an Akatsuki supplier." Neji said as softly as he could. "According to Sasuke, she dealt with both Akatsuki and Orochimaru, and was an avid supporter of both. On top of that, she also happens to be a high-ranking Jounin. Even Sasuke said that she was strong."

Shikamaru's expression was grim. Any mention of the Akatsuki caused a dull pain to flare up in his stomach: a twisting memory of loss.

"What did she supply them with?"

"Weapons, mostly." Neji replied. "But she was basically an errand-runner. She'd get them anything they needed."

"Weird," Shikamaru muttered, leaning his head against the pillar once more. "She seemed so…normal. Nice even."

"She must be a very good actress."

"Hm," Shikamaru hummed thoughtfully. "So what, we're just supposed to plan the exams like nothing's wrong while keeping an eye on her?"

"Basically, yes."

"What a drag." Shikamaru moaned. "That's going to make this even more annoying."

"Indeed." Neji agreed. "But I have my squad to help us watch her. Hinata has also offered to help, and I agreed. The more eyes we have on her, the better."

"Jeez," Shikamaru grumbled, his eyelids drooping. "What the hell is Naruto doing, letting some crazy woman hang around in the village?"

Neji was silent for a moment. "I did ask him, but he never gave me a straightforward answer. But I suspect he wants to have her here, where he can keep a close eye on her."

"Either that, or he's just curious about her." Shikamaru snorted. "That wouldn't surprise me. Or, knowing him, he's probably hoping that being around two super guys like us will make her see the error in her ways."

A flicker of a smile touched Neji's lips. "I won't say that's not a possibility."

Shikamaru exhaled loudly. "Well, fuck, this entire mission just got a lot more troublesome. I mean, seriously, a prominent Akatsuki supporter right here in the village? I don't like it, Neji."

"Nor do I, but this is the way thing are." Neji sighed. "No doubt Naruto-sama has some elaborate plan that he has yet to inform us about."

Shikamaru suddenly sat upright, his tired eyes snapping to Neji's as he said in a low voice, "Hey, do you think she might have had something to do with the attack on Naruto earlier today?"

Neji frowned slightly. "I suppose it's possible. But what would she hope to achieve by doing such a thing? She seemed genuinely excited to meet Naruto-sama. And Sasuke."

"Maybe she's just really into scary-powerful dudes." Shikamaru offered.

Neji smiled. "Maybe. Naruto-sama and Sasuke definitely both fall into the category of 'scary-powerful dudes'."

"So that's it then, mystery solved." Shikamaru drawled, waving his fingers in mock celebration. "She's not a baddie, she just has a weird fetish. Case closed."

"If only it was that easy." Neji said, resisting the urge to laugh. "I suspect she has other plans in coming here."

Shikamaru was silent for a moment, apparently lost in thought. Then he said, "Well, no matter what happens, it's up to us to stop her. It's troublesome, but I don't want to get anyone else involved in this shit."

"Agreed."

"Good." Shikamaru said as he stood, joints cracking as he stretched. "Anyways, if that's all the shocking news you have, then I think I'll head back to bed."

"That's everything." Neji said, watching as Shikamaru slowly tottered across the porch towards his bedroom. After a moment of hesitation, he called out, "Good night, Shikamaru."

With one hand on the doorframe, Shikamaru glanced over his shoulder. The night seemed to cling to him, contouring his already angular face with dark, mysterious shadows. He momentarily observed Neji, his shadowy eyes unreadable. And then he cracked a tired smile, voice drifting like smoke as he replied.

"G'night, Neji."

And then he stepped over the threshold, swallowed up by the darkness even before he slid the door shut behind him.

Neji turned away with a pang of guilt. He knew that, after what he had told Shikamaru, there was no way that the Nara would be getting any more sleep tonight.

A/N: Thanks for reading! The lack of answers in this chapter might be a little frustrating, but be patient! I have high hopes for this sequel.