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Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto-sensei, whom I worship through the many perchases of merchanidise.
Note: (MAJOR SPOILERS) This story is built on the speculated-AU (post-chapter 208) where Shikamaru and Naruto (and Akamaru) are the only survivors of the team that headed out to retrieve Sasuke. Lee and the sand-nins did not arrive to help; all sound-nins lost; Sasuke was defeated by Naruto and returned willingly to the village.
Chapter 1: Return
The sky was bathed a foreboding blood-red by the setting sun, reflecting off the dark clouds that were crawling in from the east. They would overtake the village before nightfall, extinguishing the stars. There would be no twilight.
"I see them!" Lee shouted, pointing out to a spot far down the trail from the top of the village gate. "They're back!"
Sakura jolted out her half-dreaming state to clamber up from her slouched position against the wall to join Lee at the rail. Squinting as hard as she could, she tried to make out the five—no, the six familiar forms of her comrades through the glare of the sunset and mental exhaustion. "I don't see them," she at last confessed. "Where are they?"
"There," Lee said, shifting his weight against his crutches to adjust his index finger to the girl's eye level so she could better narrow the area.
With eyes bloodshot from three days of no rest, Sakura managed to catch the movement emerging over the rim of the farthest hill. "I see them!" she gasped, relief washing over her strained mind in a light, warm wave. Lee began to laugh from similar effects. "I can see them! Do they have Sasuke-kun with them?"
"They've got to!"
Sakura whispered the same desperate prayer she'd been uttering since the morning before yesterday's. "Oh God, please. Please let Naruto keep his promise…" The movement grew closer into range, the shapes more distinguishable.
"Can you see?!" she blurted out upon the first chance of possible recognition.
Lee remained silent, his laughter having died off sometime before she realized it. She didn't ask again. By now she could see all she needed to know.
There were only four standing.
***
Three anbu were waiting at the hospital when they arrived, and before any protest could be uttered, Sasuke's unconscious form was whisked away in a flurry of white medical coats and animal masks.
Two of Naruto's shadow clones rested the bodies of Kiba and Neji onto nearby cots as directed by some nurses while Shikamaru laid out Chouji. From the coat of the clone carrying Kiba, a small white dog was produced, and after a small discussion about there not being any veterinarians in the building, Akamaru was taken away to see what they could do. A doctor did a quick examination of the other bodies before declaring them dead on site for official records. The news was no surprise. The last stretch from the gate to the hospital had told everyone else all they needed to know.
Treatment for the survivors took place after that, Sakura staying beside Naruto the entire time since Sasuke had been taken off to who knew where. Lee tagged along as well despite being caught by a medical-nin who knew he was supposed to still be resting in bed from recent surgery. One look at his friends however, as well as a promise from Lee to be careful, and the assistant let him go without further argument. There was a piteous atmosphere surrounding them that seemed to somber everyone. Even Naruto didn't fuss as he was put in a bed and covered with bandages.
An uncomfortable silence lingered between all of them throughout the duration of this period, no one quite knowing what to say. There was a distinct feeling of too many questions and not enough answers; too many accusations and not enough fingers; too many tears and not enough shoulders.
It was only after the doctors filed out and left them alone that someone finally found something to break the quiet.
"Sakura-chan." Naruto's usually bright blue eyes looked upon her with a reserve that held back a floodgate of emotions. Her own emerald orbs wavered beneath his stare. "…Sasuke-kun is…" He racked his brain feverishly for the right words. "…Different now. He's still the same in some ways, but in others, he might be very different. A lot's happened, and it just might… take a while. Understand?"
There were many things left unsaid in those words, Sakura could feel it. Tears welled up in her eyes as she understood, and she quickly ducked her head to hide them.
He was protecting her again. Just like he always had been even long before she knew, this time telling her to safeguard her feelings for Sasuke. He was allowing her to hope while preparing her for reality. Things would not be easy but maybe, just maybe, they would be okay.
"Sakura-chan?"
"Yes," she answered quickly, wiping her eyes and giving him a warm smile. "I understand. …Thank you, Naruto. For…everything."
He observed her face for a moment, as if trying to find something. At last, his lips curled up into an awkward, bittersweet, boyish grin. "Hey, I told you I'd bring him back, didn't I? Uzumaki Naruto always keeps his word!" Sakura giggled, and even Lee had to chortle when the boy struck the Nice Guy pose. Naruto quieted right after though. "But," he confessed softly, "I didn't do it alone."
Lee said nothing, and the only sound in the room that followed were Sakura's giggles which hadn't stopped since they started. The boys watched her uncomfortably as she was currently bent over with them, neither one knowing if they should stop her or if they even really wanted to. The green-clad genin was finally about to gently ask what she found so amusing when the tears finally hit the floor. With hushed gasps they realized she was weeping.
"Sakura-san…"
"Sakura-chan…"
"...I'm sorry..." Her voice was no louder than a whisper, high-pitched in her ragged breathing as she fought to speak between sobs. "I'm so sorry," she squeaked.
The other two looked at each other quizzically. "What for Sakura?" Naruto pleaded, afraid he might have accidentally accused her of something. "None of you're your fault. What do you have to be sorry about?"
Sakura just shook her head, unable to say. Instead of an explanation, all that poured out were more apologies and choked cries, tears rolling endlessly down her face which she buried into the her arms and the blankets of her teammate's bed. Tentatively he reached over to stroke her hair as means of comfort, discouraged by his helplessness.
Lee looked away, feeling like an awkward third wheel with the same essence of uselessness. He occupied himself by searching for Shikamaru's bed. Despite only being battle-weary and injured by a broken finger, the doctors had still put the chuunin in a cot. Lee wondered if the boy hadn't said anything due to being asleep, but he soon made a different discovery.
Turning the others he asked, "Where's Shikamaru?"
Naruto looked up from his attentions to the girl and glanced about the room. Sakura managed to stifle her sobs long enough to do the same thing, but Naruto comprehend more than she did. Pulling aside the bed sheets, the boy climbed out of bed.
"Wh-what are you doing?" the kunoichi demanded, scrubbing away at her wet cheeks. "You should still be resting!"
Putting back on his jacket and headband that the doctors had removed for treatment, the blonde turned to his upperclassman. "Lee, take care of Sakura for me for a while, okay?"
"Now wait a minute--!"
"Why? Where are you going?" the boy asked.
Headband tight, Naruto gave them another grin that lacked heart. "I've gotta go catch up with Shikamaru. He and I still have some business we need to take care of."
***
"Mission report: Konoha shinobi, Nara Shikamaru, chuunin, reporting."
Hokage's voice filled the small office, disgusted and grim—or perhaps that was just his imagination. "Proceed, Nara."
"The objective of the mission, to return Uchiha Sasuke to the village, was accomplished. He is currently being treated in the hospital for his injuries while under heavy anbu observation."
"I see. So the mission was successful then?"
"…The objective was met. Yes."
"That is not what I asked."
A thick silence fell upon the room, pressing against its occupants who were already stifled by the tiny space left by scattered paperwork, scrolls, and clutter. Hokage waited patiently, watching Shikamaru's dark eyes as he weighed the question in his mind.
He cleared his throat and then with strained authority spoke. "A few from our—my team were lost in action. Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Neji, and Akimichi Chouji--" He then coughed or choked—it was hard to tell—but continued so quickly, one would doubt it even happened. "—gave their lives for the sake of our success. It was due to their courage and strength that we obtained our goal. To call this mission anything less than successful, would be dishonoring their sacrifice."
Hokage paused. "I'm sorry," she said at last.
"So am I."
With a regarding look and nod, the woman turned down to her paperwork. "Your report will be recorded and the family members will be informed. Dismissed, Nara."
He made no motion to leave. "With your permission, Hokage-sama," he stated carefully, "…I would like to be the one who informs their families."
The Fire Shadow of Hidden Leaf looked surprised. "You?" she blurted rather unprofessionally, then after some composure tried again. "Why?"
"I was the captain of this team. I was responsible for picking those who would be my men, leading them, and am thus responsible for their lives. As such, it is my duty to inform their relatives of their deaths."
There was a heavy, contemplating pause. Shikamaru felt not just his mental strength, but his very adulthood being evaluated by her stare.
"Alright," she finally consented, her eyes darting about with a lingering doubt or two. "Have someone go with you to each house however."
"Someone has already requested to accompany me."
She seemed to relax a little at this and he had a feeling it was because she knew whom he was speaking of. "Very well, request granted. You are dismissed if you have no further business."
With a bob of his head that was more of a jerk than an actual nod, the young chuunin turned to leave.
"Shikamaru." He looked back from halfway out the door. "You did an excellent job, you know."
His eyes smoldered, wispy and grayed. "No, I don't," he rasped—and was gone.
***
Naruto was already waiting outside Hokage's Tower when Shikamaru exited. "You ready?" he asked.
"Do you really think it's it possible to be?"
"This was your idea, you know."
"And you're the one who volunteered to help."
The blonde rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. "Ready or not, here we go then, eh?"
"Yeah…" Shikamaru looked up at the cold blanket of rain clouds that rolled out the last of the daylight, wondering what he wouldn't give for a patch of crystal blue. With a slow exhale he turned back down to the village. "Here we go."
~End chapter one~
to be continued...
Notes from the Authoress:
There will be no shounen-ai in this story, so any hopeful slashers can move on if they like. I'm a traditionalist myself; this means NaruHina, SasuSaku, and ShikaIno. My first Naruto fic. Let the new obsessions begin...
For those of you who know me, you'll know that I don't really write angst much, if at all. So why try now? *shrugs* I was in that kind of mood when this story struck me and it's the only way I can see of telling it. I also want to test my wings in this area and see what I can and definitely cannot write. Feel free to let me know.
For those who don't know me, nice to meet you! I usually write humor fics so with any luck, I'll write a humorous Naruto story soon enough. Until then, I hope this manages to entertain you.
Er...I have no idea when the next chapter will be out. My angsty writing mood comes and goes. Either I'll keep this one up, or a lighter piece of mine will appear. Whatever happens, it'll probably be Naruto goodness. (yay!)
Next Chapter: The storm is not the only thing that breaks.