TWENTY TWO

War: Part V

Naruto made his way through the trees on the out skirts of Konoha. He had two things to do in Konoha, one was to speak to a certain shinobi that probably hated him and two was the find Shikamaru. He had a bad feeling about the brunette and he was determined to make sure he was all right.

A few minutes later the blonde reach the gates of Konoha. Using his father's famous technique, he moved quickly through his old village thanking Kami that he didn't see any one he knew, until he found the building he was looking for. Stopping at the front door, he looked up and found a sign that read "Konohagakure T&I Department." Could they have been more obvious? Naruto made his way inside unnoticed due his perfect henge and chakra masking techniques. Thank you Pein! Snaking his way around the building to the bottom floor, which he assumed was where the most dangerous criminals were held. Upon reaching the bottom floor, Naruto knocked out all the current shinobi that were guarding the so-called criminals. It was rather easy Naruto thought. You would think they would use higher-level shinobi to guard the most dangerous ones.

The staircase lead to a large steel door at the bottom, upon entering Naruto noticed it was not very well lit, probably to distort the criminals sight. The door lead to a long hallway lined with cells only on the left side. Each cell was only about ten feet wide by ten feet deep and had no light. It reminded Naruto of the cell Tsunade kept him in after they brought him back from Suna.

Naruto walked by each cell, then one caught his eye.

Hey! That IS the cell I stayed in….

Naruto continued on his way, until he passed back a cell that housed a silver haired shinobi with glasses. Naruto snickered to himself as said shinobi looked up in confused, then it changed to pure hate. Before Kabuto could do anything, Naruto moved on to the next cell, which was empty. The very last one at the end of the hall held the shinobi he was looking for.

Walking up to the bars, he noticed there was a cot on the back wall with a small toilet next to it. The shinobi he was looking for was lying on the cot with his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. When said shinobi felt a presence near he looked over to the bars of cell and smirked. Sitting up on the cot, he swung his legs over and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Teme," Naruto smirked.

"Dobe," Sasuke replied.

000

I know what I have to do, but how do I get in touch with him? Every time I have seen him, its because he has come to me…

Shikamaru Nara lay on his bed with his arms cross behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. It had been hours since his out burst in the field. He didn't know what he was going to stay the next time he saw his comrades. He and Kakashi, along with Sakura and Sai had to report to the mission's desk tomorrow at seven sharp. He'd needed to come up with something before them. Glancing at the clock, he noticed it was nearing nine and he needed to be up at five for training. Deciding it was took late to do anything now, and an emotional out burst was exhausting, the brunette started to get ready for bed.

After flipping out the light and climbing, he made himself comfortable and started to drift off. Only right as he was about to fall asleep his door opened.

"Shikamaru," a rough voice that could only belong to one person.

"What?" a sharp reply.

"I know you weren't asleep. Get up. We need to talk. Come down stairs after your dressed," the rough voice ordered.

"Fine," Shikamaru slugged his way out of bed, into normal clothes and down the stairs.

Fumbling down the last flew steps he glances around his living to find his sensei, Kakashi, Jiraiya and Tsunade as well as his father. Thankfully his mother was on a mission because this didn't look good for the younger Nara.

"What's going on?" Shikamaru asked, suddenly being more awake.

"Shikamaru, we would like to speak with you about something," Tsunade replied.

"Yes?"

"What's you relationship with Naruto Uzumaki?" Tsunade asked.

"I…um…." Shikamaru was speechless.

He knew Kakashi had seen him and Naruto together but he never thought that Jonin would go to the Hokage; much less bring his father and sensei into the conversation. The Nara was in shock; he honestly didn't know how to answer that question for himself. He really didn't know what was going between and the troublesome blonde. He couldn't put it into words. He knew what he felt. He knew he loved the blonde, but after the feelings he got earlier this afternoon, he really didn't know if the blonde loved him back.

Naruto has told him that he loved him, but did he ever truly mean it? Has that loved faded in the shadow of another? Shikamaru really didn't know and right now that was the least of his worries. There were five higher-level shinobi interrogating him for interacting secretly with an S-ranked rogue ninja, beside the fact it that they might know it was a sexual relationship. Well, if you could call it that. They had never gone farther than kissing and touching, so again it would go back to the question of what was going on between him and his blonde? This could end very badly for Shikamaru.

Seeing she wasn't going to get an answer from the younger Nara she continued, although she did take note it was not because he refused to answer, but more like he didn't have one or he couldn't, "Shikamaru, Kakashi has informed us that Naruto contacted you during your mission to Kumo. Is this correct?"

"Yes," Shikamaru replied. At least he could answer something.

"Has he contacted you before that?" Asuma asked.

"Yes."

"When?"

"The day he escape from us after we brought him back from Suna."

"How did he contact you?" Tsuande asked.

"He came by the house to speak with me."

"Why?"

Shit, I'm going to get in a lot more trouble now…

"To…Um…"

"Shikamaru, answer the Hokage," his father's rough voice called.

"To retrieve his Katanas," Shikamaru looked down.

"That's right, you had them after we came back from Suna," Kakashi noted.

"And you gave them to him?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes."

Tsunade let out a loud breath.

"Any time before that?" his father asked.

"Yes."

"When?"

"The night I unlocked the seals in his mind for you and Inochi-san."

"How did you manage that?"

Shikamaru looked up at his father with wide eyes. This was the moment of truth. Where he told them about his relation with Naruto. He sexual preferences. Everything.

"Well?" Asuma pushed.

"We… um… we kissed and he told me he loved me." Shikamaru said just loud enough for them to hear.

"You're… um… gay?" Tsunade clarified.

"Yes."

"What about since then?" Jiraiya was the one to ask moving on to another subject.

"Only at the Kage summit."

"Did you have any contact with him aside when you were with the entire entourage and he made his presences known?"

"No."

"Do you know if he is coming by anytime soon?"

"No."

"Do you have a any way to contact him?"

"No."

"And you were planning on keeping all the information about Naruto to your self?"

"Yes."

"Have you given him any information about Konoha, it's citizens or it's shinobi?" Tsunade asked.

"Of course not!" Shikamaru almost yelled, "I would never! He would never ask that of me!"

Tsunade shook her head, "Shikamaru, Kakashi also informed me that you have something of mine?"

Shikamaru looked down. Jiraiya, Shikaku, and Asuma looked at Kakashi and Tsunade with confusion. It's been the one thing they didn't know about. Shikamaru honestly didn't want to give it up. He reached up and clutched it underneath his shirt.

"Yes," Shikamaru whispered.

"Good, make sure it stays safe," Tsunade nodded, surprising the brunette.

"You don't want it back?"

"No, not as long as I know it's safe with someone, especially if that someone is here in the village."

"Thank you."

"Now, Shikamaru, what was the out burst earlier this afternoon?" Asuma asked, "I have never seen you act that way. I have never seen you so mad. It also looked as if you had been crying."

Shikaku looked at his son, who just avoided his gaze. He was not one to cry, not even when he was little. He must have been really hurt by something. It was also a little concerning that was he not just crying, but he acted out? He was mad?

"Its nothing," Shikamaru replied quietly.

"Don't give me that bull shit again, Shikamaru," Asuma said with a harsh voice, "I spoke with Choji, Ino and the others. Choji said when he asked you what was wrong you said it felt like your heart was breaking? What is all that about?"

Shikamaru just looked down, his loose hair falling in front of his face so his eyes were hidden. It was quiet for a long time, until the faint sound of tear drops hitting the floor were heard.

"Shikamaru?" his father called out of concern.

"Its weird you know?" Shikamaru started to speak, "I have no proof, no evidence, nothing and I still feel as if there is someone else. I can feel it, his love for someone else. His love for me is fading, and fast. But I've nothing to prove it. Its just a feeling."

"As a shinobi, we have to go by our feelings, Shikamaru," Shikaku stated, "There are some that say because of our heighten physical senses, our others like spiritual, and emotional senses are heighten as well."

Shikamaru reached up with the back of his hand and wiped his face. There was no sense in crying about it.

"I can't decide if I'm mad about it or sad," Shikamaru said, "I'm sorry I lashed out at you Asuma-sensei and Kakashi-taichou."

"Love makes us do stupid things, Shikamaru," Tsunade snorted, "I should know."

"What?" Shikamaru looked up in confusion.

"Never mind that," Tsunade said crossing her arms and taking a deep breath, this was the hardest part of her job, "now, dealing with an S-ranked rogue shinobi unauthorized is punishable by death or by exile. So, what are we going to do with you?"

Shikamaru just looked up at the blonde Hokage in look mixed fear and pain, then he squeezed his eyes shut and looked down to the ground once more and prepared himself for what was to come.