AN: ok this is my first major atempt at any sort of fan fic hope you guys like it and are able to give me good reviews to help me with my writing and story.

Disclamer: nope don't own naruto or any of the charicters. However give me 7 years and or a million dolors then maybe I might.

Thoughts

Talk

Flash backs

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"Ok there she is. Now I just need to talk to her and tell her how I feel about her. Can't chicken out now. I can do this."

"so Ino tell me what's the deal with you and shikamaru?"

"what do you mean sakura?"

"well I mean you and him are always together since choji and Asuma died. Are you like a couple or something?"

Ino dropped the tea cup she was holding letting it shatter on the floor. She then stood up slamming her hands on the table while yelling "no way in hell sakura!! I mean he's my only team mate that I have left. And ya he's always there for me but still there's not a chance in hell that I would have feelings like that for that lazy ass."

"wow Ino you don't have to get so upset about it. I was only asking but if you don't mind why not?"

Ino started getting extremely irritated by this statement. She then sat back down and said "well I am still saving myself fore sasuke."

"Ino your still dreaming of that dumb ass? Come on I thought out of everyone who wished him to come back you would have given up already. Why not settle fore some one who is always there fore you, someone who will always care for you, some one well like shikamaru."

Ino begain shaking her head as she said "come on sakura leave me and shikamaru alone. He dosnt think of me that way and I know I will never be able to think of him that way. So just stop already."

Shikamaru staird at the two sitting in the booth not believing everything he had just heard.

"hmm I guess I got my answer before I even asked her." with out saying a single word to the two women he slowly turned around and walked away unnoticed. As he stepped out of the shop he staired at the gray sky

"great just exactly how I am feeling. I cant beleave this. Well at least things cant get any wor…"

Shikamarus thoughts where interrupted by a loud crack of thunder. Then as if on cue the rain comes down from the hevens like a water fall.

"I just had to say it didn't I. hmm just like in all those corny movies you see all the time."

Shikamaru slowly started walking through the empty streets not knowing where he was going or what he would do next. "for the first time in my life I have no idea what my next step will be."

After what seemed to be an eternity of walking shikmaru found himself staring at the gates of Konoha.

"why did I come hear." "you should leave!"

"hmmm that's not to bad a thought. What do I have left hear anyway? Asuma's dead. Choji died. Ino dosnt give a shit about me. My mother is nothing more then a troublesome hag and my father is allways drunk. What do I have still keeping me in this town?"

"your right, theres nothing left in this town. We should leave become something that everyone will recognize and respect."

"whait a minute why am I talking to myself like this?"

"who said you where talking to yourself?"

Shikmaru turned around to see a man who stood 5'11" he wore the pureist of black the only thing visible from under his uniform where his sky blue eyes that seemed to pirce the verry soul of a human.

"who are you and how can you speak to me in my mind?" the man looked at him with his old style of shin shinobi style uniform. He then stepped closer to shikamaru and said "I am the greatest ninja that has ever lived. My name is Hanzo Hattori. I am one of the last three Iga Ninja alive. We carry quite a few special abilitys. All of witch I am willing to share with you."

"why would you be willing to share all your abilitys with me?"

" my clan is dying off. There are only two others beside me and one of them dosnt even realize that they are one. I need some one to pass on our teachings. I am starting to get old. It is time to pass the abilitys on."

"why me then?"

"you're the only one who is smart enough to grasp and understand all of the abilitys that I wish to pass on."

Shikamaru looked back at the gates then turned his head to look back at the town. "why should I trust you?"

"why should you stay?" there was a silence then hanzo spoke in a low tone that was not threating but yet not quite inviting eather, saying "tell me why should you trust those who have lied to you and casted you out? Those who lead you on a string for there own amusment? What difrince is there? Trust a stranger or trust those who you know have not a care in the world for you, even though you have put your life on the line time and time again for them." shikamaru then looked at the ninja standing before him. As he did he noticed that the rain seemed to slow down as a ray of sun broke through the clouds to landed on Hanzo making him apear almost god like. Hanzo then said "with one you know there might be a small chance that something great will happen yet something bad may happen as well. With the other you know only sad times are to come. So tell me shikamaru what do you have to lose?"

Shikamaru looked at the sky as the clouds started shifting again and the light faded from Hanzo and the rain begain to poor again. He then said "dosnt sound good eather way I lose."

Hanzo gave a cold stair that seemed to penitrate shikamaru to the very core of his soul then he simply said "I can offer you freedom. The freedom to accomplish the one mission you failed."

Shikamaru snapped his head down and gave a full look at hanzo saying "this dosnt make since? You say you want to save your clan's abilitys and pass them on. What about the other two who are Iga?"

Hanzo turned away saying "I need help to save them. I maybe the strongest ninja alive but even I am not stupid enough to face off against the thousands who keep them held. All I ask is that you help me bail them out and everything I know is yours."

"the truth comes out now you only want me so you can save them." shikamaru started to turn as he begain walking toward the gates to leave the town.

"so what do you plane on doing?"

Stopping in his tracks shikamaru looked back and said "I am going to place a gamble on this future you talk about and see if hope is all its cracked up to be. I don't see anything in this town holding me back now. So lets go and save your friends and from there we can move on with our lives."

The two shinobie started walking away as they passed through the gates to konoha.

With one last look shikamaru left all that he had known and loved on a simple whim.

"is this truly the best thing I can do?"

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AN: well that's all I have for now. I think ill update as soon as maybe a day or two. But I hope you all R&R to let me know whoat you think. Thanks and hope you all like the story and what is to come.