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Break to Breathe	By : Okami-Rayne Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Shikamaru/Neji Views: 1958 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: NARUTO and its respective characters were created and are owned by Masashi Kishimoto. No copyright infringement intended. I make no money from this story.

Chapter List
- 21
- 22
- 23
BREAK TO BREATHE

by Okami Rayne

Chapter Twenty Two

[Dedicated to TheBlackCloverleaf]

It wasn't coffee, but it was just as black…and bitter to the point of provoking his gag reflex. Shikamaru wondered if Neji hadn't been trying to poison him. The shadow-nin snorted as he eyed the contents of the drink suspiciously, grimacing at the taste from his first sip. He could feel Sakura's eyes on him and flicked his gaze up to meet her grimly set expression.
"You need to drink all of it, Shikamaru."
"Have you tasted this crap?"
"I made it."
Fuck.
Shikamaru shifted awkwardly. "Right."
Sakura snorted, rolling her eyes. "Naruto, Lee and Hinata had to drink it too, so don't be such a baby."
"How the hell did you get Naruto to drink it?" Shikamaru muttered around the rim of the cup Neji had brought him, taking another tentative sip before just downing it like bad saké, smacking his lips with a shudder.
"You don't want to know," Sakura reached across to take the cup from him, as if not trusting him to have caught the last damn drop. She even checked.
"Ugh…" Shikamaru dragged his knuckles across his mouth, running his tongue along his teeth with a frown. "Okay, so the point of that was?"
"The last thing we need is any of you getting sick from something those birds were carrying," Sakura explained in a firm, almost maternal tone. "Kiba said you'd found a dead bird earlier that must have been sick."
"Yeah," Shikamaru reached for his water canteen, popping the cap off.
"Well considering you just had a load of bird entrails all over you, it's best not to take any chances."
Thanks for the reminder.
Shikamaru sloshed water around his mouth, attempting to dilute the foul flavour of the concoction. However, it was nothing compared to the bitter taste of the words that he worked out after swallowing.
"No need to delay…wanna cut to the chase now?"
Sakura turned her face away, the pink shards of her hair shielding her profile for a moment. Shikamaru arched a brow and set the water canteen aside, wondering if she'd backed out of her decision to speak with him. A second later he realised she was listening out for voices beyond the tent.
"You're safe to talk. Neji's not coming back for a bit," Shikamaru answered her unspoken question, scooting back to tug Neji's stolen sheet up and over his shoulders in a makeshift cloak against the chill.
Judging by the look on Sakura's face when she met his gaze again, it was about to get colder. Her aqua-green eyes pinched with worry, a sharp contrast to the look of lazy ease Shikamaru knew he was projecting.
The kunoichi shook her head. "He's not well, Shikamaru."
For some reason, hearing her say it made it even more real.
Despite the twist in his chest, Shikamaru played the part of ignorant and arched his brows. "What do you mean?""
"I thought he got hurt during the fight. When I found him he was bleeding…but there were no external wounds." Sakura touched her lips. "He was coughing up blood…"
Shikamaru blinked slowly, releasing a slow breath through his nose.
This was it.
There was no way to avoid it now; he'd hoped for more time. Time to get a better plan in order...time to put the pieces where they needed to be...time to make sure all sides were covered, all possible outcomes accounted for and the failsafe options in place.
He'd needed time he'd clearly never had.
Sakura must have mistaken his silence for shock, because she looked at him sympathetically, sadly, and searchingly.
Shit…time to come clean…
Shikamaru licked his dry lips, taking a moment to mentally assess the safest course for the conversation. Sakura spoke before he could, shaking her head against the reality she thought she was alone in.
"It's bad, Shikamaru…the damage is all internal…mostly—"
"His lungs," Shikamaru cut in, dropping the bombshell of his awareness without looking at her.
He sensed the aftershock hit her with a jolt.
Her breath snagged sharply before she expelled it in a disbelieving whisper. "Y-you know?"
Shikamaru continued to dodge her gaze. "Do Chōji and Kiba know?"
"No. But how do yo—"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Neji had told us to go on ahead via a transmission…but I went back and found him coug—wait a second…" Sakura held up her hand as if to ward off his attempts to evade her. "Shikamaru, how do you know?"
He ignored the question. "What did he say to you?"
"Not to say anything to you."
Shikamaru smiled slightly at that, a bleak, humourless curve of his lips.
Stubborn bastard.
"Which seems pretty pointless," Sakura said quietly, sounding more disturbed than annoyed. "Because clearly you already know more about this than I do."
Shikamaru sighed, letting the tension roll through him once before shrugging his shoulders against it, focusing on the shift of the sheet against his back to distract from the churn of unease in his stomach. Sakura's relentless stare forced him to meet her gaze after a moment. A muscle ticked in his jaw before he spoke.
"There was a reason I originally assigned you to my team, Sakura. You and Hinata."
Sakura blinked, probably not having expected him to elucidate. She folded her legs beneath her, setting herself more comfortably on the opposite bedroll.
"Because of Neji," she surmised.
"Yeah…"
"You know what's wrong with him."
Shikamaru pursed his lips. She stared at him expectantly. Sighing, he planted a hand behind him, leaning back and away from her and her statements, both figuratively and literally; his eyes scanned her warily.
"Before I say anything more, Sakura, we need to be clear on a few things."
"Okay…"
"First. This doesn't go any further. No one finds out we had this talk. No one. Got it?"
Sakura nodded. "Yes."
"Second. There are some things I'll tell you and some things I can't and won't tell you."
He wasn't surprised when she frowned, cocking her head. "Why?"
"Let's call it plausible deniability. The less you know, the safer you are. That's how it goes."
"…Okay."
"Good." Shikamaru tipped his head toward the tent flap, indicating outside. "The same goes for Hinata. She knows the score. I need to know you're not gonna make this more troublesome for me."
Sakura arched a brow, somewhat offended. "Why would I do that?"
"Exactly," Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "Why would you?"
"Okay. I get it."
"Good. This needs to be treated like a mission. Effectively, that's what it is."
"What do you mean?"
Shikamaru almost snorted. It was a complicated question, because suddenly the answer didn't seem so clear cut. The shadow-nin shook off his hesitation, shrugging as he leaned back a little further on his palm.
"I mean this situation with Neji is something I was assigned to take care of," he said.
"What?" Sakura looked as if he'd just switched languages on her. "Assigned…?"
"Yeah. Directly." He pushed off his palm, drawing a knee up. "It's a mission, and it needs to be treated like one. There's no room for screwing up. I need you and Hinata on side for it, but both of you are gonna be working on a need to know basis."
"And what do I need to know?" Sakura asked.
Shikamaru wished he didn't have to answer. It was one of those things high on his list of 'what I need to avoid'. This moment had been one of them. Along with a whole string of events that had led to this current conversation.
No running away from it now.
Shikamaru kept his face blank, his voice rolling out with deceptive ease. "At some point you're going to play doctor. Hinata is going to be your eyes and you're going to have to carry out a procedure."
Sakura's eyes widened, her winged brows arching to her hairline. "What? On Neji?"
Shikamaru nodded and watched Sakura's brows drop back down into a frown, marring her expression with more doubt that Shikamaru cared to see on her face.
Don't make this harder, dammit.
"Shikamaru…" She shook her head.
"This isn't personal, Sakura. These are the Hokage's orders."
Sakura bit down on whatever her automatic response was and Shikamaru watched her war with her own convictions. Eventually she settled for a tight huff, shaking her head again.
"Why didn't you mention this to me before? Why didn't Tsunade-sama say anything?"
"Well first off, Neji got to you before I could. He had the teams swapped, which screwed things up."
"Why didn't Tsunade-sama step in and stop him?"
"Because Asuma-sensei got involved and we didn't want him or Neji getting suspicious."
Sakura arched a brow. "Why would Neji change the teams in the first place if he wasn't already suspicious?"
Because of what happened between us…
Shikamaru clenched his fist in the bedroll then smoothed out his fingers, tapping his thumb impatiently.
"Look, all that is irrelevant. The truth is, you weren't supposed to know about this until I asked you to perform the procedure…it would have been safer that way."
"Safer?" Sakura frowned.
"Yeah, you'd have had no involvement other than just following orders. But apparently nothing wants to go to plan lately, so we work around it."
"Why all this secrecy?"
Because the less people Neji hates by the end of this, the better…
Shikamaru shrugged idly. "Hokage's orders."
Sakura's expression turned a little sour and Shikamaru could see he was losing her willingness to believe him, if not her support. He couldn't afford to let that happen.
"Look, if we don't sort this problem, it's going to get really ugly, really fast. We're running out of time. Can you do this or not?"
Sakura studied him quietly, taking her time before she replied. "What exactly do you want me to do?"
"When the time comes, no matter how Neji reacts, you do what I tell you to. That's all I need you to do."
"Can you at least give me some idea of what I'm working with – medically speaking."
Shikamaru nodded, jutting his chin toward his backpack. Sakura caught on and reached for it, gripping the strap and lightly swinging it towards the shadow-nin. Shikamaru rummaged around inside it, extracting a slim scroll and rolling it out with a flick of his wrist. He handed it over to her.
"Shizune's labelling it severe pulmonary embolus."
Sakura took the scroll into her lap and brushed her fingers over Shizune's scrawl, studying the hastily sketched diagrams, following the annotations with a small frown.
"Oh God…how did this happen…?" Sakura whispered as if the scroll would talk back to her.
"I take it you're familiar with the medical side," Shikamaru said, trying to ignore the sickening knot in his stomach, which twisted tighter when he caught her expression.
"Yes." Sakura tapped a finger above an anatomical sketch on the scroll. "It's a condition of arterial blood clots in the lungs…which explains what I felt when I tried to heal him."
Shikamaru dropped his eyes to her tapping finger. "Did you get a feel for how serious it was?"
"It's bad."
Shikamaru curled his tongue behind his teeth, gritting down on his need to curse. "How bad?"
"Bad." Sakura hesitated. "And it's going to get worse…fast."
Shikamaru's eyes drifted shut for a moment.
God…I thought I'd have more time…
"But Shikamaru…how would Neji have got those clots?"
He slipped his eyes open, staring at the scroll as he recited Shizune's words. "Chakra blocks. Stagnant chakra blocking vital tenketsu solidified to create physical clots…at least that's what Shizune said."
"Chakra blocks…" Understanding smoothed the frown from Sakura's face, but it sucked away the colour from her skin, leaving her pale and concerned. "That explains why the Palm Rotation caused such damage."
Shikamaru didn't respond. It was a rhetorical statement. While only the Hyūga understood the true intricacy of the Chakra Pathway System, Shikamaru was well aware that the Palm Rotation jutsu required expelling chakra from all 361 chakra points. With Neji having blocked several key tenketsu, forcing chakra through those blocks in order to use his jutsu was like smashing a tidal wave against a dam.
That kind of pressure didn't threaten to bruise or batter.
It would eventually break or burst.
God dammit, Neji…why the hell have you done this…?
"Shikamaru?" Sakura's voice penetrated the thick fog of concern that had fallen over his mind, reminding him how unclearly he was thinking.
Focus.
"Yeah…?" Shikamaru rubbed at his brow, as if doing this would physically shift the haze from his head.
"How did Neji get these blocks?"
"Need to know basis, Sakura. That's the deal."
"Shikamaru…"
"Don't make this difficult for me, okay?" the shadow-nin sighed, struggling to revive his much needed sense of detachment to the situation. "It's enough of a pain in the ass trying to keep things stable…I really can't take anyone else shaking things up."
Something must have carried in his voice, because it caused Sakura to draw back a little, as if she were reading something behind his words as opposed to what he was actually saying. He glanced up, catching the look of confusion in her eyes. Thankfully, she slid her gaze down to the scroll, nodding.
"Okay," she relented. "So I take it that Hinata knows then."
"She knows the same as you – what she needs to. That's it." Shikamaru leaned back on his palm again. "No one else suspects and it's gonna stay that way. We have two missions. Hanegakure and Neji. Sorry you had to even find out – I'd have kept it clean for you…but Neji screwed up my game plan."
Sakura glanced up, sadness mellowing the hint of frustration in her eyes. "You're my friend, Shikamaru. Neji too. You don't need to keep things clean for me."
Shikamaru shrugged, pretending not to be affected. "I appreciate that…but this isn't personal, Sakura. This is a mission right now. The fact that Neji is a comrade is just more incentive to do this right and not let things get complicated. The clearer your head, the better this will go for everyone."
Sakura looked away, her lips tightening as she frowned. "I understand."
Clearly she didn't. Or if she did, she didn't agree with him.
That's not my problem.
He shook his head, redefining the boundaries in his mind. Things needed to stay clear-cut. Sakura and Naruto's inclination towards attachment wasn't something he could afford to let himself do. Not now, not when he needed it to be impersonal, clear and uncomplicated.
Then why the hell is he under my damned skin…?
Shikamaru watched Sakura roll up the scroll, wishing he could just as easily roll up and slot away all the troublesome thoughts and feelings roiling around inside him. He'd thrown every rational weapon at the problem that was his powerful and dangerous attraction to Neji.
Attraction not attachment…
The desperate snap of that thought alarmed him; because it felt like he was trying to convince himself.
No. That's just how it is…
He bluntly ignored that niggling twinge inside him and snapped his gaze back to Sakura's face, speaking before his brain could regurgitate more troublesome thoughts.
"Be prepared for me to call you up on this at any given time," he said, reaching out to nudge the scroll back into her hand when she made to pass it back. "No, keep Shizune's notes. Look over them and be ready."
"Okay. I will."
"It's not going to be easy. Hinata will be working with the chakra blocks…but you need to work with healing the damage to his lungs – and whatever else has been screwed up."
Sakura frowned at this unaffected tone, but softened her voice. "Shikamaru…Does Neji know?"
"Know what?"
"How severe his condition is?"
Shikamaru hummed. "Even if he did, he'd never ask for help."
"But…why…?"
Because it would force him to face what's really wrong…what caused him to do this to himself …
Shikamaru gave her a look that was flat and unreadable. "I'm not asking why."
Sakura frowned. "Maybe someone should."
"Yeah well, that someone isn't gonna be you or me. That's not in the mission statement. Right now it doesn't matter why."
He hoped she'd leave it at that, but her sigh of frustration was like a breeze threatening to pick up into a buffeting wind; she shook her head again, clearly confused at his lack of engagement and concern.
"But it does matter, Shikamaru…I mean, besides Neji's reason for not asking for help, there has to be a reason why he's sick. A reason why or how he got those chakra blocks."
Shikamaru arched a lazy brow. "Remember what I said about knowing what you need to? You don't need to worry about that."
"God, aren't you worried about it?"
The accusation in her eyes struck a nerve buried deep beneath Shikamaru's false detachment. It wasn't enough to translate onto his face, but it touched his voice a little, the barest drop in his tone.
"I'm just doing what I have to do, Sakura."
"How can you say it like it's so impersonal?"
"Because it is."
"How can you say that?"
Shikamaru arched a brow. "My mouth is moving, isn't it?"
Sakura's eyes flashed at the inappropriate sarcasm. "You can't seriously be so flippant about this."
"I'm not going to be dramatic either."
"Neji's our friend. He's not a mission."
"He's not Sasuke either."
A stunned silence followed his words.
Sakura jerked back as if he'd physically struck her.
It was a cruel thing to say. He knew that – but it had its intended effect. She backed off, like an animal retreating to nurse a bite. Shikamaru sighed. He didn't like pulling the Sasuke card. But she needed the reality check. At least he told himself that's why he had said it…not because her words were like salt into a wound he shouldn't have had.
"Look," Shikamaru broke the silence, his voice a tired sigh. "You tell yourself whatever you need to, okay? I need to think clearly. I'd be a crappy friend if I didn't do this right."
Sakura wouldn't meet his eyes; she'd retreated into that shell of guilt and sadness that Shikamaru had seen Naruto clam up in at the mention of Sasuke. Their reactions to their lost teammate had always made him take stock in the necessity of remaining safely detached. They'd taught him that lesson without ever realising it. That kind of attachment led to clouded judgement, the kind that Asuma had warned him he could not afford.
Another reason why this 'can't' get personal…I need to keep a clear head…
"Let's just hope Naruto doesn't find out you ever said that…" Sakura murmured at last, emerging long enough from her shell of sadness to offer him a glance. "I'll do whatever I have to."
Shikamaru nodded, part of him wanting to apologise. "Thank you."
"It's what friends do, Shikamaru," Sakura said evenly, sniffing as she pulled her strength and composure together, slotting the scroll away before slipping out of the tent.
Shikamaru watched the canvas flap flutter shut behind her…then he closed his eyes.

The monochrome world stretched out in a distorted zoom, swelling and shrinking in proportion to Neji's focus. His Byakugan eyes scanned the canopies, watching the inverted play of shadows and moonlight.
Focus.
He raised his right index finger, the Snake seal hand sign grounding him from the swirl of distracting thoughts whirling in the corners of his mind. He dragged in a sharp breath of cold, crisp air, using it to dispel the lingering taste of Shikamaru's breath.
The intimacy of that moment had completely floored him.
What was worse was the fact that he'd been the one to initiate it.
What the hell was I thinking? No…I wasn't thinking at all…
Neji shook his head, blinking rapidly, trying not to let colour bleed into the grey-tinged world of his dōjutsu. But he felt rattled in places he didn't think could be touched, let alone shaken up. He'd been stirred and provoked from behind his defences with just an exchange of breath.
Damn that bastard.
He'd already damned himself.
Just acknowledging this festering need in his system was a tactical error, a vital slip in his normally flawless methods of staying cool-headed and untouchable.
What did he do to me?
For years people had tried to chip away at his defences, even Lee and Tenten, with their good intentions and shows of loyal concern. While he had always appreciated their comradeship, he returned the commitment to his team in his own ways and on his own terms.
Always in control.
Even when things had begun to spiral two months ago, he'd been able to keep it together around them, regardless of what it had cost him to do it…
But then…
Neji frowned.
But then Shikamaru had swaggered onto the stage of Neji's crumbling world, unimpressed by Neji's role in the Konoha pantomime. He didn't care that Neji was a Jōnin, a Hyūga, a prodigy…nor did he appear affected by half of what the others seemed to think was worth attention or appraisal. Or even disdain, considering Neji's perceived arrogance.
No, Shikamaru wasn't a critic and he wasn't a fan.
What he was, was a lazy observer that saw far too much for one who didn't like to bother looking; even more infuriating was the fact that even with his half-cocked attitude, he still managed to see more than anyone else, bar perhaps Hinata.
Damn his intelligence.
Neji could fool everyone with the efficiency of his performances; both in his missions, his manner and in his dedication - or obedience - to his clan, despite the scars of his past. When he was performing, his mask never slipped and he always swept the stage behind him with an air of progressive perfection, often earning him a rank, a round of applause or a rival.
But not with Shikamaru…
No…that bastard was able to see the mess behind the curtains while others either threw roses or thorns at his feet. Everyone else believed the act and either admired or hated him for it. Everyone else saw what Neji wanted them to see and reacted accordingly.
But not Shikamaru…
Neji clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth. It had been his critical slip of control two months ago that had fractured his precious act. Neji hadn't only lost his lines in that moment, he'd also lost the plot. He'd faltered, tripped, messed up.
No one had marked it but Shikamaru.
To make matters worse, the Nara had not only noticed the slip, but he'd almost seen what lurked in the wings of the controlled stage that Neji's life had become. Shikamaru had almost seen the phantoms, the ghosts, the inescapable hauntings.
Neji clenched his eyes shut.
Damn him…
Try as he might, there was no denying it. Shikamaru, while infuriatingly lazy, reluctantly responsible and completely unconcerned with the idea of boundaries and rank, had somehow, in some way, seen beyond the act…
That is as far as he goes…no more…I can't…
Neji tensed, his chest tightening.
The realisation of how exposed he was made his blood run cold and hot all at the same time. It was utter insanity and he hated it. But god, it would not bleed out of his system no matter how much he tried to counteract it. It was making it harder to contain what kept rising up.
I will control this…I will make a way if I cannot find one…just like with everything else…
The pain in his chest turned sharper.
Then a low, eerie hoot caused him to physically jerk from the thick swamp of his thoughts. He surfaced with a growl, not having realised how deeply entrenched he was.
Focus!
He snapped his hand seal tautly and zoned in on a scops-owl. He watched the bird swivel its small head, large eyes scanning the undergrowth. It spread and folded its wings, another haunting whoop answering it from further away.
Focus…
Neji locked back into the world of his dōjutsu, extending his vision beyond the periphery that Naruto's clones were patrolling to search higher up and lower down, covering all angles of the surrounding sphere.
Then he saw them.
Like blips on the radar.
His eyes hardened and narrowed.
Finally found you.

The enemy came under the cover of mist and leaves.
Working as a tight-knit unit, they spread their formation to account for canopy and ground level. Five were heavily armed. Another five, making up the centre of the formation, were probably casters, carrying the unseen weapons of genjutsu and ninjutsu.
That won't save you this time.
Neji tracked them effortlessly, crouched out of range in the trees.
He relayed information to Shikamaru using his hands. From below, the Nara read the silent communication, deciphering the signs calmly and rotating his position accordingly, using the radio transmission to reach the others via an agreed morse code.
Everyone would be in place.
Neji expanded the sphere of his vision to cover the 'kill zone' Shikamaru had set up. Naruto's clones had already begun to close in. Chōji was circling around to the back of the enemy formation, moving at a distance that he could cover quickly with his Expansion Jutsu, effectively sealing off the enemies escape route. The Akimichi and Naruto were the blocking force.
Sakura and Lee remained in the trees a short distance from the kill zone, just in case any enemies tried to slip from the noose. They were the cut-off backup and had tagged kunai at the ready with Shikamaru's traps rigged below. Kiba and Akamaru took up their position at the centre of the camp site, acting as a lure ready to spring into the offensive. Hinata was stationed to prevent crossfire and guide the team with her eyes, leaving Shikamaru and Neji to orchestrate the rest.
Even if the enemy don't take the bait, they're already in the kill zone.
Neji did another quick scan of the Konoha team.
They had all-round, absolute defence, having mobilised immediately.
Neji shifted his position, inching silently along the bough until he could place his palm to the bark, calculating distance. The enemy were moving slowly, cautiously, their formation steady, but starting to shift to a spear-head as they approached the campsite.
Neji waited for the leading ninja, a woman, to pass below.
Then he gave the signal.
He tapped his mic twice, paused and then tapped again, the dull reverberations carrying through.
Kiba responded on cue. The Inuzuka, currently lazing outside one of the tents, stopped turning his kunai over in his hand, calmly stood up…then let the weapon fly.
It struck one of Shikamaru's flash bombs.
The burst of illumination flared with a boom that cast shadows in all directions.
The enemy froze on the spot, momentarily blinded.
"Fang over fang!" Kiba roared.
The Tsubasa shinobi didn't have time to react before the tunnelling jutsu tore forwards, distracting them from the snaking tendrils of Shikamaru's Shadow Stitch. The enemy shifted their formation, making to close ranks around their leader before Kiba's attack could scatter them.
But Shikamaru hit her first.
The black vines of his shadows wrapped around her legs and waist, tugging her viciously from the safety of her human shields. She landed with a shout, unable to move as the shadows dragged her back. Neji dropped down, immediately apprehending her before the light faded and the shadows with it.
He pressed the cold steel of a kunai against her throat. "Do not even think about moving."
The woman went rigid, her neck craned back as the edge of the blade nicked at her throat. The Tsubasa ninja turned towards them in a unified shift. The kunoichi leader held up her palm, halting them.
"Stop," she ordered.
Her ninja froze as ordered, an impressive display of obedience. Neji made note of it. He waited for Naruto's clones to approach with Kiba and Akamaru. They formed an immediate ring around the enemy. Knowing that Hinata would be monitoring their chakra, Neji deactivated his dōjutsu, his milky eyes shifting as he angled his head to glance across at the woman. She flicked her grey eyes to him, returning the glare.
"Hyūga," she said curtly.
Neji's eyes narrowed. "You're well informed."
"I should know those eyes, given how much trouble they've caused us."
Neji arched a brow. "I'm certain you have it backward, Tsubasa."
"I doubt it. You made us an enemy first."
"Wanna explain that?" a voice drawled from the darkness.
Neji turned his head as Shikamaru emerged from the shadows, detaching himself from the soupy black in a lazy sway. So relaxed. Neji almost smiled. Shikamaru slid his hands into his pockets, rolling his shoulders with a frown as he moved over.
"Kitori-sama," one of the enemy ninja called, glaring at Naruto.
"Be quiet," the kunoichi said calmly, too calmly.
"Kitori, huh?" Shikamaru arched a brow.
The addressed woman raised her chin. "I am Tsubasa Kitori. And you are from the Leaf."
Shikamaru shrugged his shoulder, the moonlight reflecting off the Konoha plate-protector on his arm. The Leaf symbol gleamed. "No kidding. How'd you find us?"
"By finding them," Kitori said.
"Them?" Neji pressed, keeping the flat of the blade slotted beneath her chin.
"The rebels. Fukurō's rebels."
Neji exchanged a look with Shikamaru. "Fukurō wasn't a rebel; he was head of your clan and leader of Hanegakure."
Kitori snorted, a condescending edge biting into in her voice. "I think I know my own husband's position better than you do."
"Then you'll know he's dead," Shikamaru said bluntly. "And that he hired Konoha shinobi to take care of the Tsubasa's rebel problem."
"He was the rebel problem," Kitori said, her fingers tensing into fists at her sides. "The power went to his head and he acted out against the village's best interests. He was exiled. He took a handful of followers with him, including our son."
Neji frowned, his mind conjuring the image of the smirking, red-haired shinobi who'd hurled the familiar-looking sword at him.
That was Fukurō's son…?
The face of the red-haired male vanished, replaced almost immediately by a vision of a dying girl, the life draining away from her grey eyes. Eyes just like the woman he currently held a blade to.
Could this woman be…the mother of that girl?
He shifted his attention back to Kitori. "And what about the small team of rebels that Fukurō hired our Konoha shinobi to wipe out?"
"They were a team sent by me to retrieve the forbidden scrolls Fukurō stole when he was exiled," the kunoichi explained, her voice still rough with bitterness. "My husband knew we'd try to stop him, so he took measures to prevent it."
Shikamaru tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "Why didn't you follow Fukurō? We're talking about your husband and your son here…didn't you feel any familial obligation to support them?"
Kitori's eyes flashed. "Why would I? When they experimented on my baby girl?"
Neji went cold and still. A dose of shock and regret briefly paralysed him. His grip on the kunai faltered; a minute slip. Shikamaru's eyes flicked to him. He recovered just in time and tightened his fingers back around the hilt of the weapon, his knuckles blanching bone-white.
The shadow-nin hesitated before prompting the woman. "What do you mean?"
"I mean exactly what I said," Kitori bit out, her teeth clenched as she ground her words out. "They experimented on my girl. My daughter, Toki. She died in Konoha trying to retrieve what her brother and father stole…she was killed by your shinobi."
Neji kept his face blank, betraying none of what played beneath the surface of his expression. He eased his grip on the blade, about to speak before Shikamaru beat him to it.
"So you're here tonight for revenge?"
"No." Kitori shook her head as much as her position allowed. "We're after the rebels. Though I assume you are working with them. Why else would you be in Hanegakure?"
"We're not working with them," Neji said. "We're here to negotiate and establish peace between our villages."
Kitori narrowed her eyes, understandably mistrusting. "Why now?"
"Because your rebels have forced our hand by drawing us into your civil conflict," Shikamaru cocked his head toward the team of Tsubasa ninja that Kiba and Naruto were guarding. "The Hokage wants official peace with Hanegakure, to avoid a war between our villages."
Neji felt some of the tension fall away from the kunoichi and he cautiously lowered the blade, although he didn't relax his guard for a second.
Kitori reached for her throat, brushing her fingers against a pendant hanging there before she spoke. "It was always our intention to revive old ties with Konoha, but as you can tell, we've been rather preoccupied with our own people."
"So the little welcoming party that popped up outta the ground?" Kiba spoke up, glancing over the shoulders of the Tsubasa ninja.
"They are all that's left of my husband's rebellion," Kitori said, distaste colouring her voice once more. "We've been tracking them for a long time now. They emerged when you appeared. So you've done us a favour by sniffing them out. We had suspected they'd gone underground, but it was impossible to locate them as our strength has always been above the surface."
"They must be pretty deep underground," Shikamaru remarked, glancing at Neji. "We couldn't detect them either."
"Then I assume they're using some kind of barrier sealing jutsu."
Neji frowned at this, but his experience with barrier jutsu added weight to Kitori's educated guess. It wouldn't have been the first time his Byakugan had been unable to penetrate a barrier ninjutsu. When Orochimaru's Sound Shinobi had apprehended Sasuke, the Byakugan had proved ineffective against their Black Mist formation.
It cannot be ruled out…and if its true…then that is a powerful advantage…
Neji glanced at the kunoichi again. "The red-haired shinobi I encountered, he wielded the same sword as your husband."
"Tsubasa Hibari," Kitori uttered the name coldly and her eyes flickered shut for a moment, as if she were in pain. "My son. And every bit his father's boy. Cruel."
He'd have to be to experiment on his sister…
Neji studied her expression, reading the pain etched into her face as Shikamaru posed his next question.
"So if Fukurō was exiled, who replaced him as Hanegakure's leader?"
"His brother. Tsubasa Ozuku."
Shikamaru blew out his cheeks, eyebrows arching. "So Fukurō's brother took over from him as clan leader and his son took over from him as rebel leader? Quite a bit of family drama you've got going on here."
Kitori pushed out a bitter chuckle. "The family has always been divided. Ozuku-sama is a better man than Fukurō ever was. He was also a better father to my boy, but even that wasn't enough to change Hibari's heart."
"So he took up his old man's mantle with the rebels, right?" Shikamaru surmised.
Kitori nodded, then turned to Neji. "The sword you mentioned. He stole it. It belongs to Ozuku. Both Fukurō and Ozuku were given identical blades by their father. They've been in the family for generations."
"Okay, so the rebel freaks in the ground are the bad guys," Naruto interrupted, tired with the commentary. "And what about the frickin' bird attack?"
Kitori frowned. "Bird attack?"
"Yeah, it was kinda hard to miss," the Uzumaki growled.
Neji frowned. "Impossible to miss if you were indeed tracking these rebels as you said you were."
"I assume that you're referring to the Summoning Swarm Jutsu?" Kitori said, glancing between Shikamaru and Neji, completely ignoring Naruto.
"It wasn't a Swarm Jutsu!" Naruto snapped. "Those birds didn't just go poof when we hit them!"
"Then it must have been Hibari's genjutsu."
Shikamaru shook his head. "It wasn't a genjutsu."
Kitori's eyes widened. "Then my son used our family's forbidden jutsu. It was in the scrolls that they stole."
Wonderful…
Neji sighed. "And how does this jutsu work exactly?"
"I'm not about to divulge that information to you," Kitori snorted, casting Neji a virulent glare.
Before Neji could counter her look with a granite expression, Shikamaru spoke, raising his voice enough to redirect the woman's attention.
"Look, we're here to resolve this conflict. But if we're going to do that, you need to be straight with us about what we're up against."
"And why should we trust the Leaf? You killed my child and her retrieval team. Konoha were duped by the rebels." Kitori flicked her wrist dismissively. "You'll only get in our way."
Neji bristled inwardly at her tone, his eyes going cold to counteract the angry simmer in his blood. "We were duped because Hanegakure didn't bother to inform neighbouring villages that it was suffering civil conflict, nor did you have sense enough to let us know that Fukurō had been replaced – or worse, exiled, by his own brother."
Shikamaru nodded."Every reason for him to want revenge and exploit any means of getting it. Including using us to do it."
"Exactly," Neji said coolly. "Your moral obligation should have kicked in if not your political one."
Kitori turned toward him sharply, her ponytail of thick, red braids swinging with the motion. "Do not lecture me on my moral obligations, Hyūga. By all rights, my moral obligation right now is telling me to kill you for taking the life of my girl."
Neji didn't even have time to counter the sting in her words. Shikamaru stepped forward, an ominous pulse emanating off him like a shockwave.
"Don't even try it," the shadow-nin growled, his voice dropping dangerously low – reminiscent of the tone he'd taken with Naruto a while go when he'd told the Uzumaki to back off.
Kitori turned to face him, sensing the threat layering his words. Shikamaru met her gaze directly, his dark eyes fixed in a penetrating glare that only Neji and the kunoichi could see.
"You're in no position to try to guilt trip one of our shinobi because of your lack of efficiency and miscalculated strategy," the Nara stated in that too-calm, too-cold voice. "Your daughter's death is on your head, not Neji's."
Kitori's eyes coated with a thin sheen of tears, but she did not cry. She raised her chin, glaring at Shikamaru in a way that made Neji move to redirect her anger back onto him.
"While we cannot undo the mistakes made on both our parts, we can assist you in resolving this civil conflict," the Hyūga said judiciously, his serene tones diluting some of the venom oozing off Shikamaru. "Consider it an act of good faith in regret for the lives already lost. In return, Hanegakure signs a peace treaty with Konoha. Assuming that is what we both want…an end to this conflict."
Kitori tore her gaze away from Shikamaru, levelling her stormy eyes on Neji.
She studied him for a moment, probably searching for deceit.
He made no attempt to get defensive and kept his face calm, his eyes steady on hers. Shikamaru's hooded glare didn't help, but thankfully the kunoichi seemed more engaged with the offer for peace rather than an excuse to vent her grief.
"Very well," Kitori relented with a sniff, turning her gaze away. "You will need to speak with Ozuku-sama."
Neji blinked slowly, relief easing the tightness in his face. "Understood."
"Fine." She nodded, sweeping her thumbs under her eyes. "We will take you to our village and provide you with the necessary protection and shelter."
"How do we know you're not walking us into a trap?" Shikamaru said, his voice back to its lazy drawl…as if the last few moments hadn't happened.
Neji cast him a subtle glance, veiled behind his lashes, trying to see beneath the skin of Shikamaru's chameleon act; but the shadow-nin remained frustratingly relaxed under his stare, not reacting or giving anything away.
Why are you so difficult for me to read, Nara…?
"Why on earth would we do that?" Kitori snapped, not appreciating Shikamaru's suspicion. "We have more cause not to trust you. But we both want this conflict resolved. Even if I wanted revenge, which is pointless, there is no way that we can afford a war with Konoha. It would destroy us."
"Yeah, it would," Shikamaru said, not needing to change his tone to translate the threat.
Neji shot him a glare.
What the hell are you doing?
Shikamaru ignored him, his gaze fixed on Kitori; challenging and intense despite the lazy half-mast of his lashes. Neji frowned and moved to come between the shadow-nin and the Tsubasa woman, physically breaking the tense antagonism Shikamaru had created - for whatever reason.
"When do we leave?" Neji asked quietly, attempting to pacify what the Nara had provoked.
Kitori seemed to sense what he was doing and met his gaze, releasing her tension on a sigh. "You'd best mobilise the rest of your team. If we leave now, we'll be in the heart of our village by sun-up."
"Understood," Neji inclined his head and receive a reluctant nod from the kunoichi in return. "Naruto, Kiba, back off."
The Konoha ninja nodded, though Naruto hesitated, falling back only when Neji shot him a withering glance. Kitori moved over to her team, reassuring them with orders rather than an explanation. When Neji looked to Shikamaru, he noted that the shadow-nin was still watching the woman.
"Stop it," Neji said tightly.
"Relax," Shikamaru muttered, clearly not relaxed himself.
Neji frowned and reached for his mic, opening the feed to the entire team. "Dismantle the traps and regroup where we agreed."
"We're moving," Sakura's voice crackled back.
"Me too," Chōji confirmed.
"Alright. Don't let your guard down, but do not antagonise these people. They are currently our allies." Neji dropped his hand away from the mic, returning his attention to Shikamaru. "What the hell was that, Nara?"
Shikamaru pursed his lips, shrugging before he moved away. "Whatever."
Neji stared after him in confusion. He felt the give-away tightness of a frown cracking his mask before he ironed out his expression and lengthened his strides to catch up, closing the distance fluidly.
"Shikamaru."
"What?" the shadow-nin sighed, slipping into the tent to retrieve his backpack.
Neji swatted aside the canvas flap before it could slap him in the face. "What the hell is wrong with you, Nara? We cannot afford to jeopardise this opportunity."
He watched Shikamaru shift around on his knees, re-checking his supplies. "I know."
"Then what the hell is with the death glares?"
"Nothing, she just pissed me off."
"She is the one with greater cause to be angry, not you."
"Yeah." Shikamaru paused, glancing up. "I know. Are you done?"
Neji relaxed some of the tension in his voice, more curious now than confused. "Why are you so angry with her? You don't even know her."
"Yeah, but I know you," Shikamaru countered, shaking his head with curse before he held up his palms in exasperated surrender. "Look, just forget it Hyūga. I really don't have the energy for this."
For some reason, without his consent, Neji's angry confusion evaporated – completely abandoning him. He didn't know how or why, but it slipped away with an ease that it never had before. Watching Shikamaru jerkily fasten the zips on his pack, Neji's eyes softened a little, as did his voice.
"You? Without energy?" he teased. "I'd never believe it."
Shikamaru almost dropped his backpack. Open surprise washed away the shadows on his face as he glanced up, staring in disbelief.
Neji pressed his lips to keep from smiling, amused by the stunned look the Chūnin gave him; it wasn't often he got the opportunity to surprise Shikamaru. Not that he'd even been looking for a chance to do so. He hadn't intended to be humorous. It had just happened.
This is hardly the time to make jokes…
But that didn't stop him from smiling slightly.
Shikamaru stared at his mouth, his own slack with shock.
Neji smirked and looked away first, shaking his head. "When you're done picking your jaw up off the ground, it's time to move."
"You made a joke."
"Well done, Nara."
Shikamaru's lip quirked. "It wasn't even a cheap shot."
"I suppose not."
"How did it feel?"
Neji twisted his lips to keep from smiling. He rolled his eyes with feigned annoyance that he knew Shikamaru would see through. "Get moving, Shikamaru."
He ducked back out of the tent before the shadow-nin could respond, turning around to retrace his steps back towards the gathering party.
He barely made it half-way.
Razorblades of pain stabbed at his chest, lacerating his breath into a torn gasp as he jolted to a stop.
No…
It took every scrap of control to recover in time. Clenching his jaw, he ripped his composure back as harshly as the air that had been pulled away from him. He closed his eyes tightly before snapping them open again, shaking out a slow breath.
Thankfully, no one noticed the slip.
The Konoha Chūnin remained focused on their new allies, wary but amicable. Neji took the chance to subtly press a palm to his chest, his fingers digging in to crease the fabric of his robes.
Not now…God not now…
The sharp pain receded to a throb; aching, but tolerable. Neji drew a slow breath, releasing it by degrees through his nose.
This will pass…
He shifted his hand to the strap of his black-and-tan bag, pretending to shrug and adjust the weight of the pack. He didn't notice Hinata's eyes shifting toward him briefly. By the time he heard the approach of Shikamaru behind him, his mask was firmly back in place.
He turned his head when Shikamaru moved to walk beside him, yawning. "Ugh…such a drag…"
Neji arched a brow in query, then followed Shikamaru's gaze across to the flash of yellow bouncing around in the centre of the group. He made the fatal error of meeting Naruto's gaze. The second he did the Uzumaki took it as an invitation to announce his excitement in a shout, completely forgetting that he still had his mic on.
Shikamaru snapped a hand to his transmitter too late. "Oh shi—"
Naruto's roar exploded at ten times its thunderous volume, punching their eardrums just short of bursting them.
"HEY GUYS! DID YOU KNOW HANEGAKURE IS 'IN' THE TREES?"
Reeling, Neji and Shikamaru almost smacked heads.
For a second, both of them remained paralysed. Frozen in the deafening aftershock.
Shikamaru squinted, looking pained. "Fuck..."
Unable to respond, Neji open and closed his mouth, working his jaw against the ringing in his ears.
Oh. My. God…
They didn't have time to recover and rip off their mics before Kiba's voice exploded through a heartbeat later.
"'IN' THE TREES? NO FRICKIN' WAY!"
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Break to Breathe