Chapter Two:

A Nara Always keeps their promise part one.

It took Shikarai and Kakashi roughly three hours to arrive from the point further away from the edge of the Eastern forest where Rin was kidnapped to where the Kiri-nin were currently hiding out in a cave that was connected to a river. If the Kiri-nin had gone further ahead, they would be at the Valley of the End. It would have been more difficult if that were the case, if only because the Valley of the End offered the Kiri-nin more environmental advantage.

Here, while the Kiri-nin did have a river, the Konoha-nin had their forest. Not to mention, Inoichi was proficient in Water nature techniques. Choza while not really having a specific Chakra Nature could hold his own with Earth based jutsus. Sakumo was renowned for his lethal Lightning release and Kakashi's wasn't anything to scoff at either, especially when it came to his chidori. Shikaku himself took after his teacher's proficiency with Lightning, in addition to Wind release. If they needed Fire, he was sure that Kakashi could provide a scorching Fireball.

"Why aren't we attacking them?" Kakashi quietly asked, hand on his tanto.

Shikarai shook his head, motioning for Kakashi to stay put. "You feel that, right?"

Kakashi tensely nodded, "The ominous chakra coming from the cave. It's exactly why we should take them out quickly."

Shikarai really needed a cigarette right about now. "Bothersome," he had to remind himself that even though Kakashi's sensei was Minato who was Kushina's boyfriend, Minato didn't exactly tell his students important stuff.

Such as what a Tailed Beast's chakra feels like, just so they wouldn't freak out in case Kushina ever borrows chakra from the Kyuubi. Though, Shikarai was sure Kushina would rather die than tap into a Tailed Beast's chakra. It was always a source of frustration for Shikarai.

"That chakra belongs to a Tailed Beast."

Kakashi's eye widened.

"Did you finish the perimeter check Sakumo-sensei?" Shikarai drawled seconds before Sakumo softly landed next to them. He almost snickered at how Kakashi slightly startled in surprise.

"Two squads inside. The first squad who kidnapped Nohara-chan. The second squad is sealing the Tailed Beast inside her. Eight Kiri-nin in total."

Shikarai took in the information with a distracted nod. "Anything else?"

"The members from the sealing squad...they're not armed enough for a full on assault."

Shikarai shared a glance with Sakumo. Their eyes silently told each other the same thing. They're on a suicide mission.

A wry smile twitched up Shikarai's mouth. "It makes things easier for us then."

"I don't get it. Why seal a Tailed Beast inside of Rin? Why in the Land of Fire?" Kakashi asked.

"It's a war tactic," Shikarai answered while motioning Kakashi to be quiet.

The Nara narrowed his eyes as the squad that kidnapped Rin took guard at the entrance of the cave.

'The sealing squad knows that it's a suicide mission. But the other squad doesn't. Bothersome.'

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Sakumo hold Kakashi still just as Choza and Inoichi quietly slid down next to them. Knowing that now that the group was bigger they would be easily spotted, Shikarai motioned for them to fall back a bit, just enough to keep hidden behind trees and bushes. And also enough to quietly converse without fear of being heard.

He also mentally noted to talk to Sakumo about teaching Kakashi some basic sensing.

"When I saw Ikiru, I expected a night out drinking our sorrows," Choza wistfully said.

Inoichi nodded in agreement.

"Trust me, that's what I wanted before this mess popped up," Shikarai wryly informed. "A squad of Kiri-nin took one of Minato's students to seal a Tailed Beast into her," he gave a short version of the story, knowing his friends would connect the dots.

"Oh my..." Choza trailed off, an almost haunted look on his face.

"That method hasn't been used in ages. And village has ever gone about doing it like this." Inoichi scowled in anger.

"Barbaric," Choza added.

"Bothersome," Shikarai corrected. "It's bothersome. Not to mention a waste of a Tailed Beast."

"Asshole," Inoichi gave Shikarai a slap behind his head. "Be more empathetic."

"Strategists don't exactly get to be empathetic."

"Damn Nara."

"What are you guys talking about?" Kakashi asked, a hint of frustration in his tone.

"Not it," Shikarai immediately replied.

"Not it either," Choza and Inoichi added in unison.

The three friends looked at Sakumo with expectant faces.

Sakumo gave them unimpressed looks. "You three act like Gennin."

In unison, the three friends shrugged. Shikarai was a Nara and that was a reasonable excuse for not wanting to explain the thing to Kakashi in his defense. Choza simply would prefer not to relive some memories and Inoichi simply didn't know how to explain it without any gruesome details. So that left Sakumo, who in Shikarai's opinion was a damned great teacher.

"Kakashi," Sakumo sighed, earning his son's curious look. "What's happening to your teammate is a war tactic that hasn't been used in ages. It was inspired by the Gold and Silver brothers, who years before the First War was swallowed by the Kyuubi in a failed attempt to capture it. They lived by feeding on its flesh which gave then an unusually high chakra reserve and unique abilities."

Shikarai grimaced, glad he was born in the time he was born. Well, the time he was born in was shitty, but not as shitty as that one.

"Inspired, years later, Kumogakure attempted to let their Jinchuriki fuse their Tailed Beast covered chakra into other shinobi. The result was human ticking bombs who could kill hundreds of shinobi on the battlefield before succumbing to their own deaths. The method became known as the suicide neo-Jinchurikis. Thankfully it is no longer commonly used."

"What does that have to do with Kiri-nin sealing a Tailed Beast in Rin?"

"It's a variation of the method. Instead of using chakra, they used a whole Tailed Beast. They seal it with an unstable seal and make your teammate a ticking time bomb."

"Then why aren't we stopping them?!" Kakashi raised his voice slightly. "If we don't, then Rin's going to die." The boy, he sounded broken. Desperate.

Choza and Inoichi winced in sympathy, knowing that Kakashi had gone through hell the last couple of months.

"Only an imbecile would stop them."

Shikarai found himself on the receiving end of four glares. Three of which was accusing him of needing to learn not to be an insensitive asshole and the other one was promising to slit his throat if he kept being an asshole.

Ooops?

"Let me rephrase that, only emotionally driven and attached people would do that. A shinobi, with years of experience when it comes to controlling emotions, would know that if they did that...well, then there would be a Tailed Beast loose in the Land of Fire. The Tailed Beast would probably kill the shinobi and the person the shinobi was trying to rescue along with a bunch of people before getting sealed."

Kakashi's shoulders slumped. "...then there's nothing we can do?"

"I didn't say that."

Shikarai found it bothersome how everyone perked up.

"We let them finish sealing the beast. Eliminate all of them, since they're useless when it comes to information. Assess the seal on Rin and then plan from there."

"That isn't a full proof plan..." Kakashi pointed out, prodding for something.

"No, it isn't. But I promised Obito that I'd look after you and Rin."

"Oh, then it's settled then," Inoichi relaxed, suddenly confident.

"Should I cook curry or fried rice tonight?" Sakumo casually wondered.

"I'm paying for our drinks tonight then, Ino, Rai." Choza smiled.

Kakashi frowned at them. "Why are you all acting like Rin's okay?"

"Kiddo, don't you know?" Choza grinned. "A Nara always keep their promises."

.o0o.o0o.

Exactly four seconds after the sealing was completed, a large shadow skimmed across the field and split in four, entrapping the four Kiri-nin that were standing guard at the cave.

Shikarai grittedt, feeling the usual strain of using his clan technique. Sometimes he really hated using his clan techniques, but he knew how useful they were. His shadows have saved his life more times than he could care to count.

"Ichi, Cho, Kakashi. Go."

He heard the sound of lightning cackling as Inoichi, Choza, Kakashi and Sakumo ran forward. The first three entered the cave, while Sakumo stabbed one of the Kiri-nin he was holding with his lightning-covered blade.

Shikarai sighed in relief as the strain he was feeling lessened.

Without the extra strain, he managed to get a better hold on the remaining three Kiri-nin.

"Rai, get back!"

Shikarai leaped to the side, cursing aloud as a Water Dragon attacked him.

He didn't even get a moment to recover as a rain of shuriken was thrown at him by two of the now released Kiri-nin, while the the Kiri-nin who had managed to use a Water Dragon without any seals while being restrained by him attacked Sakumo.

If this wasn't a life or death situation, Shikarai would have loved to fight the clearly stronger Kiri-nin.

Instead, however, his hands flew up into a flurry of seals as he took in a deep breath.

Before any of the shuriken could hit him, he blew out a gust of wind that sent them back to the two Kiri-nin and the one that was fighting against Sakumo.

"Oii, are ya trying to kill me?!" Sakumo yelled as he deflected one of the shuriken.

"Damn. You're still alive." Shikarai deadpanned as he charged towards the two Kiri-nin who were making their way to the river.

With a quick kunai to the neck, he managed to off one of them while the other made it to the river.

"Water Style-"

"This is gonna hurt so damn much," Shikarai grimaced as he stuck his hand into the river. He immediately focused his chakra to his hand, willing it to turn into his Lightning nature one.

It happened fairly quickly, partly due to the control every Nara had and party due to the experience through years of quickly executed techniques.

The Nara immediately felt an incoming surge of headache as he felt his own chakra zapping him while the Kiri-nin screamed out in pain of being electrocuted. Once he was sure that the Kiri-nin was dead, Shikarai stopped and took his hand out.

He winced, knowing he wouldn't be using his hand for a day or two. The medic-nin were going to get on his ass about how reckless and self-destructive he had been. They'd probably not heal it completely just to teach him a lesson, so he'll probably have to ask Yoshino for help. And Yoshino would tear him a new one before maybe helping him.

"Bothersome," Shikarai sighed, feeling a migraine.

He barely had enough chakra left to do anything else at the moment, considering he had just gotten back from the battlefield today and gotten himself involve in this drama he was in.

He would kill Minato for not giving Rin a Hirashiin kunai.

"What's bothersome is me having to deal with my cute student trying to kill me for years now."

"Don't call me cute. It's weird."

With a chuckle, Sakumo pulled him up.

Shikarai cursed, knowing that Sakumo had purposely grabbed his injured hand.

"Let's go check on the others~!" Sakumo sang, walking on ahead towards the cave.

Muttering about his sadistic teacher, Shikarai followed along.

They were met with the sight of four Kiri-nin. One who, ironically, had received a chidori through the chest. Two who were crushed, courtesy of Choza. And the last one who had his throat slit by Inoichi.

"Got any information?" Shikarai raised an eyebrow at the Yamanaka, knowing that the blond only slit throats after gathering information.

"...suicide mission like you said. His squad was promised that their families would be cared for in exchange."

Shikarai scoffed, knowing that Kirigakure would not care for the family of those who had been killed. Judging by Inoichi and Choza's frowns, they knew that as well. The shinobi world couldn't afford honoring promises like that.

"Rin, wake up, Rin!"

Their attention were drawn to Kakashi who was kneeling down beside Rin.

With a gasp, Rin sat up, eyes wide in fear and confusion.

'Fuckin' Madara,' Shikarai cursed in his head. If he was as overpowered as Naruto or Sasuke, he'd kill the Uchiha himself. But for now, all he could do was make sure to get rid of the seal in Rin's heart. No matter what.

Not showing any outward emotion, he strode towards Kakashi and Rin.

"Nohara," he calmly said, earning the girl's attention.

"N-Nara-sama..."

"Can you walk?"

With a hesitant nod, Rin forced herself up, stumbling slightly.

Shikarai's eyes softened as the usually stoic Kakashi supported the girl.

"Shikarai, what about the-"

"I'll figure it out. Give me twenty minutes." Shikarai cut Inoichi off, not wanting to scare Rin with knowledge that she was a ticking time bomb.

But, judging by the calculating look the girl had, she probably already knew that as well.

"Sakumo, Choza."

The two straightened up.

"We're gonna put some distance away from here. I need you two to go ahead and make sure the path is relatively safe."

With a nod, the two took off.

"We're both chakra exhausted. Why did you let them take off?" Inoichi asked as soon as they were gone.

Kakashi and Rin seemed just as confused as him.

Shikarai, however, looked at Rin and Kakashi. "Rin. Stop being pessimistic. Kakashi. Trust me a little." The he looked at Inoichi. "I didn't know you were chakra exhausted, you dumbass."

"Oh my, the almighty Nara! Here I thought they knew everything!" Inoichi teased.

Shikarai rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter anyway, I just wanted those two to leave so I can think without Sakumo-sensei doting on Kakashi and Choza being a mother-hen."

"Point taken."

Rin giggled in amusement.

"That being said, everyone shut up and let me do what I do best."

"Sleep?" Inoichi teased.

"Drink?" Kakashi wondered.

"Smoke?" Rin innocently offered. "You should cut back on that habit, Nara-sama."

"I hate all of you."

"Nah, that takes too much energy from you lazy Nara."

Inoichi really annoyed him sometimes.

"Shut up and let me think."

.o0o.o0o.

Chapter End.

.o0o.o0o.

Author's note: bam! Updated. Surprised?! Ha! Nah. Tbh, this story was just gonna be a one-shot, but after the response I got from it...well, surprise~? So stay tuned for Shikarai's antics, everyone poking fun at Shikarai, Shikarai wondering why he didn't just become a shut in, Shikarai wanting to tear Minato a new one, Minato avoiding appearing on my story, etc.

Shikarai's quote of day: "Us Nara may be lazy, but authors are more lazy."

Questions:

1. You've seen what Shikarai is like with Shikaku, Choza, Inoichi, Yoshino and Kushina. What do you think he's like with the rest from his generation? (Mikoto, Fugaku, the Hyuuga twins, Tsume, Shibi, etc.)

2. Does Shikarai seem overpowered?