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Down the Rabbit Hole and Back Again	By : PrplGrl Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1209 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
Admitting Defeat, Part 2

Shikamaru hugged his knees, eyes focused intently on the wall across from him. He was in the hospital again. The police had raided that place he hated so much, and he was glad he never had to return there again. However, this miracle had its price.

The teen had bumped into Naruto outside the building as he was being led away. He was so happy his blonde was all right, but concerned at seeing his father being wheeled to an ambulance on a stretcher.

Naruto did not look happy to see Shikamaru at all. He hugged his knees tighter as he remembered the one he cared for so much calling him a bastard, punching him in the face so hard he fell to the ground and yelling at him before hobbling to the ambulance where his father had been taken.

“If you can’t fully protect someone, don’t fucking bother at all!”

The Nara buried his face within the thin blanket covering his legs, his tears being absorbed into the fabric. His beloved blonde had been raped, and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. The man he worked for had lied to him; Naruto had been touched and violated and he knew the other teen would never forgive him for it.

Shikamaru could understand Uzumaki’s rage. From what he understood during the blonde’s shouting, his father had come out of nowhere to take a bullet for him.

It was more than he’d done.

The Nara was ashamed that he hadn’t done anything more than rely on the word of a criminal that the blonde would not be harmed. Fucking missed the mark on that one. He should have fought to see Naruto and make sure he was all right, although he wasn’t sure what good that would have done. Even if he had seen the blonde and found out someone had raped him, what could he do? Refuse to work? That action would have only granted the blonde more pain, suffering, and that’s what he was trying not to accomplish.

He sighed heavily, raising his face to stare at the wall again. He would have been screwed no matter what he did.

The door to his room opened, and Shikamaru suddenly found himself within his mother’s arms as she cried into his shoulder. He wrapped his own around her tightly, just now realizing how he had missed her screeching voice. His father came up and hugged him from behind, joining them in a tearful reunion.

Shikamaru sighed contently. He had his parents again, and he knew he would never lose them.

Doctor Tsunade’s aid, Shizune walked into the room a few minutes later and informed them that the teen’s blood work came back normal; there were no drugs in his system, to the delight of his parents. She told the family that they wanted to keep Shikamaru overnight, for a routine observation, and that he could go home in the morning.

Shikamaru was grateful his parents decided to stay with him through the night. He didn’t feel much like seeing them leave any time soon. A small cot was brought in for Yoshino, Shikaku insisting on taking the recliner.

They didn’t go to sleep, though. Who would after finally finding their son after three weeks?

Shikamaru was surprised he had lasted that long. That white-haired client he’d had kept him going, though. If the man knew his name, he also knew something else was going on.

Shizune returned a while later to tell them that Minato Namikaze would be fine; the bullet he’d been hit with entered his shoulder but missed vital organs and would probably be released in a few days. The teen had tentatively asked about Naruto’s condition, and she had happily informed him that he had a minor cut on his cheek that required a few stitches and a sprained ankle. He’d be out before his father.

Shikamaru sighed in relief. Naruto was all right… well, physically, anyway. He hoped he’d be able to talk to the blonde and help heal the part of him that had been damaged through the rape.

A moment later, a tall man wearing a dark suit entered the room. He introduced himself as Yamato and showed them his badge from the F.B.I.

“I am here in regards to your son,” he said to his parents, Yoshino wrapping her arms around him in a possessive manner.

Shikaku lightly glared at the agent. “He’s not under arrest,” he stated. “The police have already taken his statement. My son was there by force.”

Yamato looked evenly at the slightly taller man. “I am aware of that, but this boy has been in the presence of the leader of the Akatsuki and we were quite surprised to see that he survived.”

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. He had never heard the name “Akatsuki” before; did that mean he’d been working for a criminal organization?

“We believe your son might be in danger,” the agent concluded. “If the Akatsuki came for him once, we’re pretty sure they’ll try to again or they might try to kill him.”

“Kill him?!” his mother asked, tightening her hold on her son.

Yamato nodded. “He worked within their ranks and has spoken with the leader. Your son would be a very damning witness once the subjects are caught.”

“What are you getting at?” Shikaku questioned, crossing his arms and glaring hard at the other man.

The agent stood a little straighter. “I am saying Shikamaru’s life is in grave danger and precautions are being taken to ensure his survival.”

“Such as?”

“We would like you to enter the witness protection program. The Bureau will move you to a safe location, you will be given new identities and start a new life.”

The Nara’s were silent, gazing at the agent with surprise.

“Leave Konoha?” Yoshino asked, biting her lip at the man’s nod.

Shikamaru’s eyes were wide. He’d watched television; he knew what it meant to be under witness protection. It meant he would leave everything and everybody behind … all because of him.

This was all his fault.

Shikaku sighed. “When would you have us leave?”

Yoshino gasped at the question. “Shikaku!”

“Immediately,” Yamato answered, ignoring the woman. “There are already people packing your things. As soon as Shikamaru is discharged tomorrow, agents will pick you up and take you to your new location.”

“Wasting no time, I see,” the older Nara commented.

“We can’t give the Akatsuki a chance to harm your son. He is far too valuable and they know that.”

The other nodded. “All right. We’ll be ready.” He held out his hand to silence his wife as she started to protest.

“Very well. Thank you for your cooperation and good luck.” With a small wave, Yamato left the room, shutting the door behind him.

“Shikaku!” Yoshino hissed as he sat beside them on the bed. “Don’t you think we should have discussed that before making a final decision?”

Shikamaru’s father sighed. “There was nothing to discuss, Yoshino. Yamato was right; Shikamaru could very well be in danger and it would be better to leave the city as soon as possible. I don’t want to, either,” he stated, seeing the anger flare in his wife’s eyes, “but it’s the best thing for our son.”

She bit her lip, looking away and slowly nodding.

“I’m sorry,” Shikamaru whispered, gazing down at the sheets when his parents turned to him. “It’s all because of me. I’m sorry I made such stupid decisions… I just….” Tears came to his eyes again and he couldn’t keep them back. “I’m… so… sorry!” A small sob escaped his lips and he was immediately held against his mother’s shoulder and she comfortingly rocked him, whispering softly to him while his father grasped his shoulders.

“Don’t be,” Shikaku whispered, gently massaging the flesh beneath the shirt his son was wearing. “Don’t apologize, Shikamaru.”

The teen turned to him, sniffing and wiping some tears off his face. “But… I’ve just ruined our lives.”

His father’s eyes widened a bit before he shook his head. “No, son. That isn’t true. Listen to me,” he held his son’s shoulders firmly and looked straight into tear filled, sad eyes, “we are going to move away and do exactly as Yamato instructed; start over. We are going to be a family, Shikamaru, and your mother and I will be sure to do things right this time. You are our son and we love you.”

Shikamaru couldn’t stop the onslaught of tears that assaulted him, though it was because of a different feeling swelling within him. It made him feel so glad and lucky to have his parents; others would have given up on their child at this point. He wrapped his arms around his father’s shoulders and happily wept into his torso. “I love you, too,” he managed to say between sobs.

Yoshino came up and hugged her boys, holding them close and sharing a kiss with her husband and giving her son a kiss on his temple.

The teen now knew things would be all right and this move would ultimately be for the best, as long as his parents remained by his side and continued to support him through thick and thin, nothing could bother him again.

~ ~ ~

The morning came up fast. Before he knew it, Shikamaru had been poked awake and told to dress; his family would be leaving soon. He did as he had been told, sitting silently on the hospital bed as they awaited the arrival of the agents to take them away.

The teen could only think of one regret of leaving so suddenly and it made his heart ache badly. He had forced the blonde to have a bad experience, whether he meant to or not, and he would carry the guilt within his soul to the end of time, he knew.

Yoshino walked into the room, his father having a small get-together with his cop buddies in the cafeteria before they left. The smile that had been on her face quickly faded as she gazed at her son. She walked over and sat beside him, looking at him with concern. “What’s the matter, Shikamaru?” she asked, softly.

The teen sniffed and looked down at his lap. “Nothing really, I just….” He paused, it wasn’t easy to talk to his parents about stuff like this; he never had before. “I just want to talk to someone, but… I don’t think he’ll want to talk to me.”

His mother rubbed his back, soothingly. “Naruto?” she guessed.

Shikamaru slowly nodded, proud he hadn’t flinched at the sound of his name.

Yoshino smiled. “Room thirteen eighty-six,” she whispered. “Down the hall, to the left.”

The Nara teen gazed at her with questioning eyes; was this a smart thing to do? They were supposed to leave any minute.

As if reading his thoughts, she nodded. “I’ll cover for you.”

He smiled and bolted for the door. Shikamaru stopped when he reached it and looked back at his mother sitting on the bed. He walked back to her and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered, quickly disappearing into the hallway.

The room was easy enough to find; the door was wide open and he hesitantly poked his head inside. Minato was lying on the bed, one arm in a sling, and was talking with his son sitting on a chair beside him, smiling. Naruto was smiling, too, until he saw the Nara standing in the doorway.

Suddenly having two sets of beautiful blue gazes locked on him made Shikamaru nervous and he shifted his feet, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Hey,” he whispered a lame greeting.

“Hey,” Naruto returned, seeming to be just as nervous, but the other teen couldn’t figure why.

Shikamaru, not wanting to spend more time than necessary merely standing there, moved toward the man on the bed. “How are you doing, Namikaze-sensei?” he asked, trying to ease the tension in the room.

The blonde man smiled, looking so much like his son… or was it the other way around? “I’m doing just fine, Shikamaru. Glad to see you didn’t come to any harm.”

He nodded, not knowing what else to say. His eyes kept flicking toward the other teen, lightly blushing when their gazes met.

Minato chuckled. “Would you like to talk with Naruto?” His son blushed as the Nara nodded. “Okay, then come stand over here,” he gently commanded.

Shikamaru walked to the other side of the bed, where Naruto was sitting, an ankle in a large and awkward looking brace.

“I’m not even here,” the principle said, pulling a curtain from the wall with his good hand to give them some privacy.

The Nara smirked and shook his head. ‘How much do you wanna bet he’ll listen anyway?’ He wanted to ask that, but was too afraid it would blow up in his face. He turned to the blonde teen and swallowed, not sure how to begin.

“Uh, would you like to sit?” Naruto asked, pointing at a chair sitting against the wall.

He shook his head. “No, thanks. I feel like I’ve done enough lying down and sitting to last a lifetime.”

The blonde smiled and looked away, eyes gazing at the floor.

Shikamaru sighed; it was now or never. “Look, I don’t have a lot of time. I just wanted to say that… I’m sorry.” Sky blue eyes looked up at him curiously. “I’m sorry that I put you in that situation, sorry I didn’t make more of an effort to be sure you were taken care of, sorry… that I couldn’t protect you like I should have.” He gazed at the floor a moment, shifting his feet. “I know these things can’t be forgiven, I just thought that you should know,” he raised his eyes back to the blonde, “I’m sorry.”

Slowly, Naruto smiled. “I don’t blame you, Shikamaru,” he finally voiced, looking a little nervous. “I’ll admit that at first I thought it was your fault, but I talked it over with my dad and… he told me nobody could be everywhere at once.” Strength came to his cerulean orbs, smile fading away. “I’m sorry for yelling and hitting you. I didn’t mean any of it, Shikamaru.”

The Nara released a shaky breath; he wasn’t expecting the blonde to apologize. “I could never stay angry with you,” he whispered, looking out the window a moment, a comfortable silence settling around them. ‘Should I?’ he wondered, thinking about his next step. Time was running short.

“Was there something else you wanted to talk about?” Naruto asked.

Biting his bottom lip, Shikamaru nodded. “Yeah, uh….” He looked at the beautiful blonde sitting there, staring up at him and it twisted at his heart painfully, knowing he would probably never see the other teen again. He walked up to him and kneeled on the floor, wanting to be close as he spoke. “Naruto,” he began, grabbing one of the blonde’s hands, “you have been so important to me for a long time. I know I never said or did anything to try and pursue a relationship with you, but I treasured our friendship so much that I was afraid dating might have fucked up everything.”

He sighed, fighting the tears as the words he didn’t want to say came to him. “I’m leaving, Naruto. My parents and I are being placed into the witness protection program,” sadness filled him at seeing the brightness within those brilliantly blue eyes fade away, “and I probably won’t see you… ever again.” Shikamaru swallowed hard, having a much more difficult time holding the tears at bay. “Before I go, I wanted to let you know that… I love you, Naruto. I will always love you and I will never forget you.”

The blonde sat there, unmoving for a few moments. Tears came to his eyes, but he made no attempt to stop them, and the Nara watched as they fell down his cheeks, over a bandage on one side. The seconds passed slowly as he waited for Naruto to say something, anything to ease the uncertainty in his heart.

Naruto released a shaky breath, a sad smile crawling onto his lips. “I love you, too,” he whispered, sniffing, “and you will be in my heart forever, Shikamaru. Nobody could replace you.”

Shikamaru smiled, leaning up for a kiss. It was too short and filled with need, the blonde breaking down into sobs when they parted. He wrapped his arms around the other teen, holding him close for a moment. “Will you do me a favor, Naruto?” he asked softly, glad when he felt a nod against his chest. His heart clenched painfully even before the words left his mouth. “Please, don’t wait for me.”

Naruto pulled away and gave him a shocked look.

The Nara cupped his unharmed cheek. “I love you, but I don’t want you to sit around and pine away for the rest of your life. I want you to find happiness, even… even if it’s in somebody else’s arms. Okay?”

Slowly, the blonde nodded, falling back into the other’s arms again. “I’m going to miss you,” he whispered.

“I’m going to miss you, too,” he replied, tightening his hold a bit before releasing his precious blonde. “Good bye, Naruto.” He stood and moved to the curtain, pushing it aside, lightly starting Minato. He jumped and wiped the tears from his face, trying to force a smile to his lips.

Shikamaru stuck out a hand to shake the man’s good one, who immediately took it. “Good bye, Namikaze-sensei. Thanks for everything.”

Minato nodded, sniffing. “No problem, Shikamaru. Good luck.”

He released the other’s hand and walked out of the room. ‘Don’t look back, don’t look back, don’t look back,’ he thought, over and over, trying desperately to ignore the pain within his chest and the tears wanting to escape and never stop. He marched back to his room, where his father was talking with someone clad in black, his mother looking somewhat amused as he entered.

“There you are!” Shikaku said, walking up to his son. “Are you all right?” he asked, noticing the tearstains.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Can we go, before I change my mind?”

His parents smiled at him sadly. Together, they walked out of the hospital and climbed into a black sport utility vehicle and began their journey to a new city, new identity, and a new life.

This one Shikamaru was determined not to screw up.
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Down the Rabbit Hole and Back Again