Shikamaru got to Konoha's gates. He was even earlier than Asuma sensei, so he started chatting with Kotetsu and Izumo. They were saying they expected less shinobi on a mission out of the village, as they didn't hear much about Yama lately. They were known to try to gossip with ninjas coming back from missions. Shikamaru smiled. He wanted to believe Yama was retreating for good, after a year of tension. But his intuition seemed to tell him that maybe it wasn't, and lowering their guards would be dangerous. It didn't help his feeling when he thought of his father who seemed quite tense the past week, when he got home. With some luck, it was unrelated, but Shikamaru couldn't ask his father what it was about, considering the man's work was mostly confidential.

Shikamaru noticed Asuma sensei coming from afar. Shikamaru offered a smile, but didn't get one back. His sensei didn't look as laid back as usual. The more he approached, the more serious he looked. And judging by how he lit cigarette after cigarette, he was concerned about something. Asuma had a smoking habit, but he usually managed it well. He was even trying to stop a few months back, from what Ino and Hinata gossiped to be Kurenai's influence.

"Is there something wrong, sensei?"

"Ino and Choji aren't here yet, that's good. I wanted to talk with you. As a chunin within this team, can you promise me that you'll do everything you can to succeed with our mission?"

Shikamaru frowned. He always gave what it took to come back home with a mission completed and as little injuries as possible. Why did Asuma ask that, today? With that worried face. Whatever was their mission, it didn't look good.

Asuma continued, "We've been given an A-ranked mission. And I was tempted to rush into your father's office and argue with him that it should be S-ranked so I could refuse it."

Shikamaru gulped. In his first life, he had seen Asuma argue about a mission with the third Hokage, but that unexpected behavior was only due to the fact that Hiruzen was his father. Shikamaru had never seen Asuma argue with the Fourth, or any of his assistants. Actually, his sensei had a great respect for Shikaku, so it was very unusual to hear about the desire to storm into his office. It could only mean Asuma judged his team was not ready for that mission.

He wished he could tell Asuma he was ready for it, but he had no clue what danger they were heading to. But Shikamaru had lived through a war. Though Asuma had no idea his students were time-travelers. Shikamaru wanted to believe he was ready for whatever was thrown at him, he was not any 14-year-old chunin, and if his father assigned the mission, it was because he believed in the team. They could pull it off. But how could Shikamaru promise Asuma that he was ready, when he had no idea what the mission entailed?

"I'll follow your orders and give my personal best for our mission to succeed. if dad, or Naruto, or Sasuke's father decided to give it to us, they trust us. Dad wouldn't send us into something suicidal."

Asuma finally offered a smile, and Shikamaru wondered if his sensei was just trying to test him. That's when he gave Shikamaru the mission scroll. It was indeed A ranked. And as Shikamaru scanned through fast to pick up the most important parts first, he noticed a name. One name that, in his first life, gave him nightmares and tormented him for years. The one person Shikamaru didn't want his loved ones to face. His heart started pounding, he could feel his head starting to become faint. His breath fastened. It couldn't happen again. He wanted to look at Asuma and refuse the mission, but he couldn't even dare looking him in the eye. His sensei had no idea what this mission meant for his team, for him.

"He is in the bingo book, how is it not given to jonins?"

Asuma didn't answer, it wasn't of use, Shikamaru knew his sensei didn't agree to it either. Shikamaru's hands and lips were shaking, and he could barely read the details because writing kept dancing in front of him due to his hand not staying still, and his eyes started to get blurry from the tears he tried keeping in. He was so focussed on reading and not letting the panic set in that he didn't hear Choji and Ino coming.

"Shikamaru, are you alright? Why are you making this face?" Ino immediately asked.

"You look like you're about to be sick," Choji added.

Shikamaru felt he couldn't even speak, but he didn't want his friends finding out by seeing the name written on the scroll. So he gathered all the air he could and said, "Stop Hidan."

His voice was filled with melancholy. He tried not to think of their first encounter with Hidan. They knew better, this time. Ino and Choji both had the same reaction, they could barely look at Asuma, looking at the ground as if they were defeated. Asuma put a hand over Shikamaru's shoulder, and gave them a reassuring smile. "I know he's a skilled ninja, but it's a duty we've been assigned to and I'll do everything in my power to bring you back safe and sound. Why do you all look like someone just died?"

Shikamaru clenched his free fist. Last time, it was you who died, Asuma. How could we not be scared, and in panic right now?

"Is Hidan alone, or was he spotted with someone else? The mission scroll doesn't mention anyone else," Shikamaru asked. In his former life, the Akatsuki always worked in pairs, but Hidan was not in the Akatsuki this time. In fact, it didn't exist anymore. If Hidan had a partner of some sort, it made things a whole lot harder, nearly impossible even.

"Like you, I didn't see any mention of anyone else, he was spotted by himself, but I'd say we stay vigilant. I'm glad you're asking relevant questions. Let's focus on our mission now."

Choji decided to intervene. "Isn't Hidan supposed to be immortal of some sort? What do we do?"

Asuma seemed confused as to why his students already knew this much about Hidan, they weren't this knowledgeable with the Bingo book usually, despite living through two lives, not that Asuma knew about it. But Shikamaru decided not to add anything. They had a long way to go, and although he shouldn't let his first life influence his thoughts, it was easier said than done.