The Leaf contingent has arrived he’s told.

Opening the door his gaze sweeps around the room recognizing Temari and the Sand medical nin.

Where is Tsunade?

His eyes light on a slip of a girl.

As if from a distance he hears someone introduce her, hears her ask for information about Kankuro’s condition.

The sound is faint as if it’s slipping farther away, as if everything’s slipping farther away.

Orders

Words like lead drag his heart down.

A pink-cotton-candy haired girl is telling them what to do.

His hands are heavy but he follows her instructions.

He can tell from Temari’s actions that she’s as weighted down as he is.

Kankuro writhes beneath them as Sakura begins the process.

“I SAID HOLD HIM!” she barks out her orders.

Its clear to all in the room who’s in charge now.

Relief

Kankuro’s not out of danger yet.

But at least now there’s some time.

Time for Sakura to gather ingredients and prepare an antidote.

Time for Temari to sag against the wall and sit on the cold stone floor.

And time for him to suck in air that tastes sweet and to feel weakness in his joints.

Chiyo is at the door

Baki wonders if she is made of stone.

The silence surrounding them all was deafening after Hinata’s whispered utterance. Shikamaru’s mind reeled trying to process the information. He was conflicted, enraged that someone would do that to his team member, to Hinata, to him. They had both in effect been violated, forced into this situation that neither of them had asked for. Reflexively his hand gripped for a kunai that wasn’t there. Logically he knew that even if he’ had one, Lahl could most likely effortlessly avoid it.

He had no weapon with which to confront this and the only asset he had was an ability to analyze the situation to try to come up with an opening that he might miss if he were to let that rage take over.

“You…you…,” he struggled to compose his statement. “You did this to her?”

“As I said, it was unintended as was my abandoning you here earlier. My…our…enemies are aware of my plan and are seeking to destroy you. I relocated the ship hastily to try to confuse them as to the true location I had selected for you. I’ve been touching down in various locations over the planet, laying what I hope is a confusing trail for them to follow. I couldn’t take the chance that they would actually destroy the ship with you on it so I let you depart.”

“So you’ve been protecting us?” Tenten asked incredulously.

“I have been attempting to do so, yes. You weren’t supposed to wake up unattended like that. As I said, I was busy and I couldn’t risk you coming to consciousness with the automata around. There are supplies you’ll need. I have them on board. Although I do have to say once again, I’m impressed with what you were able to do in such a short time. “

Shikamaru noted Tenten’s hand gripping her small obsidian knife. She shot him a sideways glance and he knew she was just waiting for a nod from him to try to strike at him. And Tenten never missed. Even with her crudely fashioned and probably off-balance homemade knife, Shikamaru was confident she could land the knife where ever she wanted.

Tempting though it was they had no idea if Lahl could intercept the knife in mid air, or if he had any as yet unrevealed weaponry of his own, or even, for that matter, where a critical hit point on his anatomy was located.

Plus at the moment he was the only one who had any information that might enable them to get home.

Shikamaru signaled negative and he saw Tenten’s jaw clench and her fingers tighten once more before relaxing only slightly.

“Can we get home on your ship? You mentioned altering us. What did you do to us, other than what you’ve already stated?”

“I have not changed your bodies in any appreciable way. Most of what I did was only temporary and only for surviving the transdimensional shift, slowing heartbeat, deeper alpha wave sleep patterns and so forth. I can run through the entire list with your medical attendant if you like. So the answer is yes and no. Yes, you could go home, but not on this ship. She won’t make such a voyage again. It was all I could do after millennia of disrepair to get us here. I can navigate around the planet some, achieve orbit, scan for adversaries and so forth. But traveling back to your world? Impossible.”

“You mentioned supplies? Couldn’t we just stay on board the ship?”

“There are limited goods available that I do have for you. Staying on board is not good, the ship itself presents a large target. Plus, it does not achieve my objective of having you acclimate to the planet and …”

“And I know the rest,” Shikamaru waved in disgust. “What about these supplies.”

“They are prepared. I can bring them out to you. Or you can assist me if you like. Some of them may require a bit of an explanation.”

Shikamaru looked at his team. The thought of splitting them up again was discomforting to say the least. He studied Hinata, who sat there still looking ashen and realized that he didn’t have it within him to suggest she go back inside.

They could wait here and have Lahl bring them the supplies, somehow the idea of him serving them was very satisfying. However, that was time consuming and also Shikamaru felt that they ought to get one more good look around inside the ship, most likely even into areas they had not yet entered.

Ino was still standing close to Lahl which made Shikamaru uncomfortable. He was certain she would volunteer to go back inside and assist Lahl. She seemed to have come to the conclusion that he could be trusted, even though his initial act had been to abduct them. He wanted to go with Ino but felt he should stay with Hinata at the moment.

Time to split the team up again. And into three groups if he was going to have to have the conversations he thought he needed to have. Shikamaru made his decision.

“Tenten, you stay with Hinata. Sakura you’re with me, we have some things to discuss. Temari, you and Ino go inside and assist Lahl.”

“Right,” the Suna kunoichi answered.

He lowered his voice and continued, “Pay attention to everything, see if there’s anything at all that could be useful or that we should know or that could help us get away from here. And…keep an eye on Ino.

“Got it.” He took some comfort as she turned to Sakura who slipped her her own Tenten-made knife. It might be pointless, it might be futile but it still felt good to know that she was going in there technically armed.

As the three blonds headed back up the ramp, Shikamaru returned to those remaining.

“Sakura?”

“Yes, Shikamaru?”

“How did you miss this?”

“What?” the pink-haired girl looked taken aback.

“You examined each of us for anything wrong. How did you miss the fact that Hinata’s pregnant?”

“Just what are you saying?” she snapped accusingly back at him.

“I asked a simple question, what caused you to miss something like this in our exams?” Shikamaru couldn’t help it, his voice was raised. His rage at his own helplessness at the current situation was getting to him.

“Guys!” Tenten implored. “Look, take it over there will you.” She motioned at Hinata who was still seated looking even more withdrawn than before. Tenten sat down beside her and draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling Hinata close.

Sighing loudly, Shikamaru walked a few feet away to a tree. Sakura stomped after him.

“Just what are you getting at,” she voiced in a hoarse whisper.

“You’re the senior medical ninja on this team. I need to know if there’s something that caused you to overlook this. If so, does it interfere with any other assessments we’ve made since we got here.”

“For your information, I wasn’t looking for pregnancy and I also had a full fledged crisis on my hands with Ino! And if what Lahl says is correct then…” she paused.

“What about what Lahl says? Then what?” Shikamaru prompted.

Sakura’s voice softened. “If conception was less than 72 hours ago then it’s likely that the fertilized egg hasn’t implanted in the uterus. So, in actuality there might not be any change in Hinata’s chakra flows that I could detect. Without a lab test, Ino and I, most medical ninja, couldn’t tell it this early on, only a… only a…”

Sakura turned and looked back over to Hinata who had her knees drawn up to her chin, arms wrapped around them and her head tucked down. Shikamaru followed her gaze to the forlorn figure sitting there.

“Only a Byakuugan user could tell,” Sakura whispered.

Shikamaru inhaled deeply then exhaled slowly. “I see. And as far as what Lahl said about termination, I don’t want her going back on that ship unless we’re all going on it to get back home. I don’t want any of us subjected to any more of his medical procedures. Is that…is that something you could do?”

Sakura cleared her throat, “Um, yes, it’s possible. At this stage it’s a fairly straightforward procedure. All medical ninja have the training. I , er, I haven’t done it myself but I’ve assisted. So…,” she nodded her head once or twice for emphasis. “Yes, I could do this.”

“Okay. One more question. Is this procedure straightforward enough so that, perhaps between you and Ino could perform it while she’s sleeping, Ino could redact selected memories and the “loss” of the pregnancy appear like a normal miscarriage? It’s obvious how hard this has been on her already, I just want to make it as easy on her as possible.”

Sakura’s eyes saucered and she pulled back from Shikamaru in disgust. “Are you actually asking me to do this…without consent?”

“Sakura, I’m only gathering information. I just need to know what’s possible to make the best decisions for the team.”

“Somehow,” she snapped turning as if to walk away from him, “I don’t think a forced abortion is a good way of resolving a forced pregnancy.”

Irritated that she was walking away from him, he stopped her with kagemane. Given the limited effectiveness of his jutsu currently coupled with her strength he found it surprisingly difficult to hold her.

“You are assuming that she might want to have this child. I think that’s fairly unlikely.”

“And you’re assuming you get to decide!” came the barbed reply. “But let’s get one thing perfectly clear between the two of us, Shikamaru. You are the leader of this team and I acknowledge that. I won’t countermand your authority and I’ll follow out your orders to the best of my ability. But I’m the senior medical ninja here. And if what you order violates the medical oath I’ve taken then I won’t follow it and I won’t condone you ordering Ino to do so. Is that understood, Captain?” She hurled the last word like an invective.

“Perfectly,” he grumbled, releasing her from his jutsu. “But you know, Sakura, Hinata’s not the only one who’s unprepared to have parenthood thrust upon them.”

Softening, she put her hand up to his face, warm palm against his cheek, oddly comforting. “I know how … shocking…this must be, for you both.”

“One last question. I don’t think this one violates any medical ethics,” he grinned lopsidedly at her.

“What is it?”

“Do you suppose Lahl impregnanted her himself, that he used his own DNA? “

Sakura paused considering. “I don’t know. Somehow…I don’t think so. Call it a hunch. But please do me a favor…,” she smiled.

“What’s that?”

“Please don’t ask Hinata if she’s sure you’re the father.”

Hands in his pockets, Shikamaru ambled over to where Tenten and Hinata sat. Sakura, bless her, called and asked Tenten to come assist her with the obsidian, showing her how to make more of the knifes. Standing over Hinata, Shikamaru asked softly, “Want to, er, talk a walk?”

Looking up at him with those wide lavender eyes she merely nodded and stood up, hands clenched in front her. “Where to?” she whispered.

“Not far, just down by the stream.”

They walked over to the little stream they had drunk from the first day here. Shikamaru sat on a flat stone near the bank and Hinata joined him.

“So, ah, do you mind if I ask,” he began then paused and cleared his throat. “That is Sakura said that she couldn’t confirm it but…”

“You mean, do I know if I really have conceived?”

“Yeah,” It was surreal, actually having this conversation with her. Hinata merely nodded affirmatively.

“Y-y-yes, Shikamaru. I-I-I have looked and…verified it.”

He turned to look at her, holding her ice cold hands in his. “Hinata, I want you to know that you don’t have to worry about Lahl coming near you again. I won’t let that happen. I’ve checked with Sakura and she can…take care of things for you.”

Hinata nodded slowly and gently extricated her hands from them, folding them daintly in her lap. “I thought that was the likely topic of your conversation with her. Thank you Shikamaru.”

They sat together on the bank, the silence only broken by the gurgle of the brook. Shikamaru looked up. A few fluffy clouds floated overhead, free, achingly, beautifully free of any encumbrances. He would have given almost anything just to spend the rest of the day lying on his back and watching them drift by.

Hinata finally broke the silence. “I-I-I d-d-don’t think you can u-u-understand Shikamaru.”

“I know, because I’m a guy and you’re a girl but, look, Hinata, in a sense we were both violated and…”

“N-n-n-o,” she stammered and blushed furiously, ducking her head, gathering her strength. “W-w-what I mean is, I don’t think you can understand what it’s like to be the unwanted child. To be the one no one wants. T-t-t-o be the one everyone wishes had never been born. You are very fortunate that N-nara-san is so proud of you. I am ashamed to say it, but I have often envied you.”

Shikamaru sat utterly still as she continued, her stammer dropping as she gained her resolve. “A-a-and a long time ago I made a promise to myself that if I were to ever have a child, no matter the circumstances, even if it were…were due to a mission or, or, rape…that no matter what I would love it. A-and even if the child’s father were not in my life then I would still give it the love of both parents.

She paused and looked up at him, jeweled tears glistening on her cheeks. He resisted the urge to wipe them away as she finished. “So, I am sorry, Shikamaru-san. I cannot end this pregnancy. I made a promise a long time ago and I have to keep it.”

Shikamaru simply nodded and put an arm around her in what he hoped was a comforting manner. And then he thought to himself that Dad was right. Cats and kunoichi would do as they pleased and men and dogs should just relax and get used to the idea.

A/N: Alright, so I feel like I need to clarify things a bit here.

BTW – the cats quote is from R.A. Heinlein, the best science fiction author EVER.

“My name is Lahl Andisheh and I am the fourth son of the second Emperor since the Unification Treaty joining the Six Planetary clusters. I am an Imperial Researcher and have been stationed on your planet for a long time…a very, very long time.” He looked around wistfully then seemed to brighten a bit. “And that, Shikamaru of the Nara clan, along with a small silver coin will buy you a cup of tea and some dango back in Konoha.”

The blond man shook his head slowly and looked around their clearing again. “This was such a beautiful place, once. Of course, it is still beautiful now, just…not in the same way. You should have seen it then. And I wish you could have had a more proper welcome here now, but that was not meant to be.”

“I think you said we’d get some answers,” Shikamaru spoke up, sensing that their ‘host’ was not necessarily being forthcoming.

“Yes. I do owe you that. But it’s a long story to tell and I think perhaps we should all sit down. If I may?” He looked at Shikamaru who simply nodded at the odd formal courtesy. This person was responsible for bringing them to an entirely different planetary system and yet he was asking permission to be seated? Weird.

Lahl settled his long limbs down, Ino sitting beside him, the rest of them forming a small circle to hear his tale. Temari was seated on Shikamaru’s left with Tenten, Hinata and Sakura to his right.

“Are you the one responsible for bringing us here?” Shikamaru began. He’d obviously been offered the opening of seeming to be in charge of this meeting so he opted to take it.

“Yes. I am,” Lahl confirmed. “And I suppose that should be the first of many things for which I owe you an apology. I sincerely regret the manner in which I brought you here. It was harsh, there was no excuse for it except that my resources were extremely limited, I could only do so much and …”

“Wait. ” Temari interrupted. “You regret the manner in which you brought us here. But not the act of kidnapping us?”

“I felt it was in your best interests. It was the only way I could ensure your survival. It was the only way I could save your lives.”

Six puzzled shinobi sat looking at him. “I think,” Shikamaru intoned, “you had better begin at the beginning.”

“Always a good place to start, Nara Shikamaru. As I said, I was an Imperial Researcher. Our civilization needed to move beyond the original six clusters, new solar systems were discovered and expeditionary forces were being sent to scout out for habitable planets. A few were found, most of those were uninhabited, but some, like yours, already had an indigenous population.”

“Was your empire expanding?” Shikamaru asked.

“It was rotting,” Lahl replied. “Unbridled growth, unsustainable rape of the environment on our homeworlds. We weren’t expanding, we were collapsing under our own weight unless we did something.”

“And that something was to…” Sakura prompted.

“It was to find new sources of raw materials for our own homeworlds. Most of the worlds were uninhabited and the few that weren’t well, the natives were fairly easily subjugated. But then we found your planet and…you. Your society was early agrarian, more advanced than any we’d come across before. And you were so like us, the good parts of us, the wholesome and uncorrupted parts. But you posed a dilemma for us as well. There were factions that wanted your planet to be off limits, to allow you to develop on your own schedule. Other factions thought you were no different than the few other societies we’d simply subjected. And some felt you had the potential to pose a threat in the future and should be eradicated. Lucky for you, war broke out on the homeworlds.”

“Wait. You said our society was early agrarian? Yet you introduced yourself as the Sage of the Six Paths. Now I know there’s some fuzziness surrounding the dates, but the Sage split the ten-tails and established the shinobi system not that long before the First Hokage established Konoha. Maybe a couple of hundred years ago. We were certainly more than an ‘early agrarian society’ at that point.”

Lahl’s eyes twinkled. “How very charming. You seem to think that your recorded history is all there is. Tell me Shikamaru, how long do you think I’ve been on your planet.?”

Shikamaru paused, calculating. Allowing for the extended life span of the earlier generations of shinobi, maybe 100 years each, then arrived at his answer. “500 years?”

Lahl smiled again, “I have been on your planet for the last twenty thousand years. And in that time, I’ve seen your civilization grow while mine, as you can see,” and he nodded indicating the meadow and the forest beyond that, ” has faded from the pages of time.”

“Lahl-san?” a soft voice spoke up.

He turned his attention toward Hinata who had asked the question. “Yes, child?”

“You mentioned factions. W-w-which faction were you on?”

He sighed. “I’m afraid that I was a member of the most despised group of all. We were considered extremists, enemies of the state. Traitors to our race. There were only a handful of us. We were the ones who fell in love.”

“L-love?” she blinked her lavender eyes, not understanding.

“Love,” he confirmed. “We fell in love. We intermarried with you. Had children. Raised families. Most of my race considered it … obscene, miscegenation. It was stupid on their part actually. Not only had they poisoned our homeworlds, they’d poisoned themselves. Fertility rates had been declining for centuries. But that tends to be overlooked when you live for tens of centuries. Not only was our civilization no longer sustainable, our species was simply dying out as well.”

“So for the last twenty thousand years you’ve been…” Shikamaru began.

“Guiding your development, or interfering depending on your point of view. But I’ve tried to keep you from making some of the same mistakes we did. After all, I have a vested interest in you. You are my children.” He looked pointedly at Ino. “If anything, the family resemblance ought to convince you. Sometimes, I interfere in a big way and it takes on a life of its own, rather like your legend of the Sage of the Six Paths.”

“Why did you do that? What was the purpose?”

Lahl sighed. “Its difficult to explain because it’s somewhat technical. But the mechanism we use for travel between stars is a transdimensional shift. And you, with what you call your ‘summons’ are able to execute that on a very minute scale. Your world occupies a unique place, unlike any other where its very easy to effect that shift. And you’ve evolved with that as part of your essential make-up. The downside to this is that occupants of the other dimensions can sometimes slip through to your worlds as well. That’s what happened with the 10 tails as you call it. Whether through the results of my own experiments, or just a natural weakness in the transdimensional fabric, the creature slipped in and began wreaking havoc. The entire planet was threatened and I couldn’t allow that to happen. Most of my efforts have been carried out in the background, but in that case, the creature was so evident that any effort to remove it would hardly go unnoticed. The legend of the Sage sprang up and it was useful to me to encourage that.”

“It’s a fascinating story,” Shikamaru acknowledged. “But you still haven’t answered why you abducted us.”

For the first time, Lahl seemed old. “I am very tired and after all these millennia, homesick. Most of my race is dead, I estimate that there are only about 500 of us left in the galaxy. And your planet is about to face two very severe threats from them, bordering on existential. I don’t think I have it within me to ensure the safety of your world, to protect you like I have done. I can however, return a remnant of you to my home, your home since you are my descendants, and give you the opportunity to start over.”

“What threats?” Shikamaru demanded.

“Some of the remaining 500 are quite simply mad, insane. They are purists. If our society vanishes, they see your continued existence as the greatest of insults. They would seek to destroy you simply to ensure that our race dies “unsullied” in their point of view. The second comes from your own people. Certain of the non-shinobi races, the samurai, have uncovered some of our equipment. They are turning it toward militaristic uses. Maybe all societies go through a natural evolution like this, it’s an interesting question. Nonetheless, I don’t think they have any idea of the power they are capable of unleashing. Our weapons, in their immature hands,all but ensure the destruction of your world in some penny-ante squabble for cultural supremacy.”

Shikamaru bristled. “So you’ve kidnapped us, restrained us, tortured us and experimented on us so that we could…could…be fruitful and multiply here?’

The blond man hesitated before replying, “I have followed about twenty shinobi that I felt would be viable candidates for recolonizing homeworlds. But I have enemies myself, enemies who had learned of my plan and were trying to kill me before I could carry it out. I had to take who I could when I could. For that I am sorry, but there simply was no time. You work in intelligence, Shikamaru, you know the chatter your compatriots are picking up regarding something originating in the lands of the samurai. I can assure you it would be something you shinobi are completely unprepared to face. I had to act swiftly. And in doing so, inartfully. I apologize again.” He bowed his head.

“Shikamaru, he’s telling the truth,” Ino finally spoke up. “I…I know it. He’s opened his whole mind up to me and it’s…true. All of it. It’s awful, it’s horrible and it’s wrong that he had to do it the way he did and if you could feel how he hates what he had to do then…you’d understand. But it’s true. War is coming to our world and it won’t be like anything we’ve face before. If he had not been convinced that it was the only way to save us then he wouldn’t have hurt us for the world.”

“What did he do to us, Ino? Did he tell you that? What did he do? He kidnapped us, isn’t that enough for you?”

“I haven’t done anything to alter you or ‘experiment’ on you as you called it. I did examine you for your compatibility with the planet. And there were a few minor preparations that needed to be made to your bodies to be able to survive the jump. Some of those procedures were harsh, I agree. And worse, they were executed with a limited set of automata who have no empathy. But I can assure you everything I did was for you own good, to give you the best possible chance of survival.”

“Automata?” Sakura asked.

“Clones, to you, but this is an area where your skills surpass those of our own. Your clones are marvelous, almost indistinguishable from a true person. The clones I’m able to employ are … somewhat out of sync with your nervous system and lacking in empathy, serving as true order-takers. It is … unnerving to you. They are very disruptive to your psyche. I’ll venture to guess that if you try to remember what they did to you, you find those memories…difficult to access.”

Grimly, Shikamaru and the others nodded in agreement. Then he asked, “What happened to Ino on the trip here?”

“Ino,” Lahl sighed, “is the most like me. She’s very sensitive telepathically, as all Yamanaka are. All my communications with my automata were carried out telepathically. She picked up on that. It was almost like a system overload, it sent her into shock. Then to further complicate things, I unknowingly tried to communicate with her directly via telepathy. We’ve spent some time this morning getting to know each other and also working on the, for lack of a better term, frequency and amplitude of my communications with her. I couldn’t tend to her during our travels, since I was running a ship meant for a crew of ten or more. I was as afraid as you were that we nearly lost her. For that, I am truly sorry.”

Lahl hesitated before continuing. “There is one more thing for which I should apologize and make amends.”

“As if you’ve not already done enough?” Temari challenged.

Looking at her he replied, “You can satisfy yourself and through Ino that I would never do anything to harm you intentionally. There’s not much point in arguing about whether or not you should be here, the fact of the matter is that you are here now,” he concluded firmly. “There was, however, an accident during one of the examinations. It was actually a misdirection of one of the automata, a bug if you will in its programming.”

Puzzled, his brow furrowed, Shikamaru asked, “What happened?”

“Although I would have preferred that you adapt to your new life here naturally and create a society of your own and as you said, Shikamaru, be fruitful and multiply of your free will, I am afraid that, through a laboratory mix up by one of the automata, one of the females is already pregnant.”

The group sat in stunned silence. Finally Sakura broke it. “W-what did you say? Which…which one of us is it?”

Lahl looked at the petite brunette with lavender eyes in front of him. “I am sorry, Hyuuga Hinata. This was never my intention to have you or any of the females impregnated against their will.”

Shikamaru was on his feet, Temari joining him. “You bastard!” Temari shrieked. “What did you do to her? Did you…did you… rape her while she was unconscious?”

Lahl answered trying to keep his voice calm. “No. As I said, it was a mixup in the programming of the automata. I was busy trying to pilot the ship. Long term their only instructions were to check for genetic compatibility. Instead, upon recognizing there were no impediments, they determined that one female was ovulating and proceeded to inseminate her. My sincerest apologies, Hyuuga-san. If you do not wish to carry this pregnancy to term then I will certainly terminate it for you. If it factors into your decision, you should be aware that conception is estimated to have occurred less than 72 hours ago.”

Hinata sat as still as a statue, her face ashen, white knuckles gripping the hem of her garment. “I-I-I’m pregnant?” she whispered in disbelief.

Gaara – gone.

Kankuro back but dying.

Temari’s returned but he can’t let her stay in Suna. He’s got to get her out of the city.

And Kankuro is dying.

Poisoned.

Dying.

Breath by breath he’s dying before his eyes.

Baki swallows his pride and heads down a hall at the end of which is the woman he hates most in the world.

To ask her for her help.

Memories

Honored Sibling?

Shriveled up old hag was more appropriate.

Memories yank him back fifteen years earlier to the sights and the smells and the screams of that night.

She was the one who had butchered Karura.

After she’d washed her hands of the mess she’d left without even the decency to cover the body.

Still he pleads with her.

She muses and mentions Tsunade…

And

then

she

says

No.

Assessment

Her words strike like a hammer in his ears.

His blood is hot but the kunai in his hand is cold steel pressing against her wrinkled old throat.

The laughter from her is cold, too, and he feels a dozen chakra strings tighten around him, hears her call him a stupid young fool.

“Bitch!” He spits out.

She smiles. “I’ve been called worse by better men than you, Baki.”

Baki picks his way through rubble, men dead and dying around him but he scans for one in particular.

“Kankuro!”

“Kankuro!” he calls again.

There’s a disturbance up ahead in the rubble and he sees a familiar face painted purple.

He shakes his head in relief. As often as he’s chided the boy about that ridiculous affectation, this time at least he is more than glad to see it.

Words You Say And Words You Don’t

Stupid! Insolent! Impudent brat! Those words that he wants to say when he sees Kankuro ready to dash out don’t match the words that he does say.

“Take a team of men with you and go. You’re the fastest man we’ve got.”

“Just come back alive, Kankuro,” Baki whispers as he watches him go. “Bring Gaara if you can, but just come back alive. I can’t lose you both.”

Words On Paper

It seems the longest walk in his life. He trudges back to the Kage’s office complex passing the wounded, offering what encouragement he can.

The words feel remote, like someone else is speaking them.

There are other words he has to put down on paper.

Brush in hand he inks his message on a scroll, fastening it to the leg of his own hawk.

He has to tell Temari.

Shikamaru was dreaming. It was a wonderful dream, a marvelous dream, a very vivid and detailed dream. He was dreaming he was in bed with an exotic alien space babe clad in something very short and silver with high-heeled silver boots hugging the outline of her shapely legs all the way up to her thighs. The height of the boots above her knee only accentuated the shortness of the skirt higher still on her leg. He dreamed his hand was resting on the bare skin in between and that those very long and lovely legs seemed to be tangled with his at the moment.

He really had never expected aliens to be so warm and soft and smell so good. Even though she looked remarkably like Tenten, the girl in his dream couldn’t possibly be her. Real-Tenten wouldn’t be breathing his name, “Oh, Shikamaru,” and pulling him to her, smiling as he slid his hand up her velvet soft thigh to…

“Shikamaru!” This voice was sharp, not the soft breathy utterance of his name from Tenten…

“Get up!” the harsh voice intruded deeper into his awareness.

“I said get up, Lazybones. Get your lazy ass out of bed!” The shrill statement was punctuated by a swift kick to his backside.

“Ooof! What the…?” he said blearily, struggling to sit up and looking for dream-Tenten. The dream girl had vanished, but the real Tenten seeming remarkably and even uncomfortably like the girl of his dream was looking anxiously at him. She was accompanied by three other very concerned kunoichi.

“We’ve got a problem,” came the reply in the stern voice he now recognized as belonging to Temari. “Ino’s gone.”

“What? What happened?” He started to jump up, thought better of it and sat with the blanket in his lap waiting for the last vestiges of dream-Tenten to clear from his mind as well as waiting for the aftereffects she’d had on his body to subside. Stupid silver shorts were flimsy to say the least. For just a moment he wondered if there were a difference between Tenten in his dream and the real girl standing in front of him. Other than the silver boots, which were smoking hot but destined to come off for his dream to play out, there was no discernible difference between the two.

Shaking his head again, trying to clear it of the completely inappropriate thoughts he was having at the moment given that he was the mission commander, he tried to focus on their latest crisis.

“She left this morning and there’s something else you should see.” Temari continued answering for the girls.

“Left? On her own?” There was some slight margin of relief to the icy stab of fear that gripped him at the thought of losing Ino again. At least she’d left of her own volition, not kidnapped by bug-eyed aliens.

“Yes. The ship is back. She went there.” Sakura spoke up.

Taking a deep breath and reciting the most recent Chuunin-exam scores to himself trying to force his body to behave, Shikamaru followed the girls outside.

The five of them stood silently staring up at the imposing structure that was impossibly in front of them.

As they watched, there was a gentle vibration and hum and the main door swooshed open. Shortly afterwards, the ramp extended. Just as Shikamaru was about to order two of them to enter, Ino appeared in the doorway. Reflexively his hand reached for a kunai at his waist and he cursed his lack of one. Ino seemed to be unharmed, she looked at them and gave a faint little wave then turned to look back in the doorway. Flicker of shadow made them realize that someone else was joining her.

Ino waited for the new … person to approach. Shikamaru’s hand clenched tighter still wishing for his missing kunai. Breathlessly they waited to see if there were other captives or if this was actually their captor who approached.

A tall elegant man emerged, fully two meters in height he towered over Ino. With a gasp the group realized that he had the same long blond hair as Ino, the same piercing blue eyes.

Fuck.

He looked like Inoichi.

Far too tall of course, and his features were slightly different, his face more angular, his limbs longer and more slender. But still the resemblance was striking.

“Ino!” he called out. “Ino, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Shikamaru,” she responded, but her voice sounded weak and tired.

Then Ino swayed a little as if slightly faint or dizzy and instantly the man…being…reached to steady her. It took every ounce of willpower Shikamaru had to force himself to stay put and not to leap up toward Ino and snatch her back to be with the rest of them.

“Are you ill?” he heard the stranger ask his teammate. The man was steadying Ino, holding her by one upper arm as she regained her balance.

“I’ll be fine,” she reassured, looking both at her fellow shinobi and the tall blond man.

The being’s gaze at Ino was solicitous…tender…possessive. It made Shikamaru want to barf. He shifted his weight forward on the balls of his feet to charge up there when Temari took just a half a step forward, interposing her body just a fraction between him and the ship. “Easy,” he heard her whisper.

It was impossible to relax but at least he was able to muster a degree of restraint. Ino and the man slowly descended the ramp, his arm ever so slightly steadying her. The idea of the creature touching her gnawed at Shikamaru.

Warily Shikamaru’s group studied the pair as they approached. When the two of them were at the bottom of the ramp the man spoke again. “I think introductions are in order and, explanations and, ah,” he looked at Ino, then back again at the group. “And apologies as well. I am sorry but there are forces opposing me and limitations on my resources.”

He looked at their hut and supplies then continued. “But I see you’ve been most ingenious and resourceful. Excellent. I knew you would be…”

Shikamaru spoke up, “I am Nara Shikamaru, jounin of Konohagakure and commander of this mission. I would like to know who you are and why you’ve brought us here against our will.” He thought about demanding an explanation but realized as he looked at their makeshift obsidian weaponry that Sakura and Tenten were holding how completely preposterous that would be. He, they, were in no position to demand anything. Once again he was wishing he’d paid more attention to diplomacy. He hoped his tone had been neutral enough.

The man gave a slight bow of his head in acknowledgment. “And I am Lahl,” he replied, then looked up with a faint grin on his face that Shikamaru would swore he had seen on Inoichi’s before. Lahl continued, “But I think you might know me better as the Sage of Six Paths.”

In the deepening twilight the group gathered around the fire and reviewed their status at the end of the day. Hinata and Temari had gathered an assortment of potentially edible items – their fruits as well as a few gnarled tubers that looked like very small potatoes as well. In addition to that they had contributed the “construction” materials of fronds and vines for lashing. Although Shikamaru wouldn’t have minded something more substantial than berries for supper, they all agreed that they should stick with what they knew for the night. At least those few items hadn’t poisoned them yet. They left the tubers aside for the next day.

He and Ino didn’t have much variety to offer, but their supply of fire wood was certainly appreciated by all in the evening chill. With practically zero cloud cover the temperature dropped quickly much as it had the night before. But as far as adventure went, the trek he and Ino had made seemed to be the most boring. Ferns and firewood were about all they had found.

Sakura and Tenten’s direction held the most promise however. Not only had they gone in a general heading toward the “city” of angular outcroppings that continued to fascinate Shikamaru, they had also found their supply of obsidian, volcanic rocks.

The rocks alone weren’t what piqued everyone’s interest. More importantly was the fact that there was geologic activity in the area. Thermal vents and natural pools of hot water captured everyone’s imagination in the cool night.

It was especially evident that they were all going to have to make a trip in that particular direction when Sakura and Tenten disclosed that they’d actually gone for a soak in one of the pools.

“A hot bath…” Hinata sighed.

“Sounds great,” Temari chimed in.

“It was,” Tenten and Sakura agreed in enthusiastic unison.

“Wish we could go tonight,” Ino grumbled.

Hinata passed out blankets to all and they sat with them wrapped around their shoulders poncho-style.

“Would you look at us?” Tenten laughed, finishing some more berries.

Shikamaru had to agree it was patently absurd, the sight of them all draped in the silver cloths, strange shadows cast by the firelight flickering off each of them. Still, the ridiculousness of the current setting helped take his mind off the other images that had invaded his thoughts. Those had come to mind unbidden at Tenten’s mention of the hot springs. Years of cloud watching had made him an adept daydreamer and the images of the two kunoichi slipping off their silvery little chemises and sliding into the hot inviting water together were vivid.

“Pass some more berries, would you?” he asked Ino. He thought to himself that they were all fortunate that Chouji hadn’t been along on this trip, a hungry Chouji was not a good traveling companion. He popped a few more of the tiny tart berries into his mouth. Their flavor had changed slightly, although still tart, the edge seemed to have been taken off the flavor, they were mellower and slightly sweeter. He ate a few more.

“Berries all around,” Ino laughed and handed them out.

“Wish we had marshmallows” Temari added poking the fire with a sharp stick.

For some reason, Tenten and Sakura found this hysterical and they laughed loudly. Shikamaru joined in. “And graham crackers” Sakura added.

“And chocolate!” Tenten chimed in with emphasis.

“Oooh, chocolate,” Ino sighed in a voice filled with longing.

“Chocolate,” another wistful sigh from Hinata that was obscenely close to a moan. What was it with girls and chocolate?

“You should hear yourselves,” Shikamaru laughed. Ridiculous, really. It was both stupid and funny and he couldn’t stop laughing about it. Somewhere in the back of his mind he realized he should be able to stop laughing, but even that seemed funny. So he laughed some more.

“What’s got you so tickled?” Ino asked, handing him another fistful of berries, “Here, they’re not chocolate,” she breathed the word out heavily, her voice warm and throaty and that made him laugh some more, “but it’s the best we’ve got.”

“Seriously,” he chuckled. “You should hear yourselves, like…you’re in love with the chocolate or something.”

Everyone was laughing. Too much. Way too much. Nagging feeling at the back of his mind that something wasn’t right here. He looked around the campfire at his rag tag little group. All of them were giddy, but some more so than others. Temari and Hinata were smiling but they weren’t doubled over like he, Ino, Tenten and Sakura.

“Shit,” he laughed. “I think…I think we’re drunk…or drugged…or something….”

“Shikamaru?” Hinata’s voice was light and sweet. “What do you mean?”

“The berries…who ate the berries?”

The group looked at one another. “We all had some, Shikamaru,” Hinata answered. “But I believe I had fewer than the rest of you.

Temari nodded as well.

“I think they’ve…they’ve….fermented or something,” somehow he had never realized how ridiculous the word “fermented” sounded. He sighed heavily trying to get a grip on himself. This was particularly hard to do as he was surrounded by silver draped kunoichi whose smiles and giddy laughter encouraged his own.

“Shit!” he cursed, damning his current inability to think straight. This was dangerous. He should be able to think, dammit. He, all of them for that matter, needed to be on their guard, they didn’t need to be punch drunk on some unknown fruit with who knew what kind of psychoactive properties.

“Come on, Hinata, you and I should take the first watch,” Temari spoke as one of the members of the more lucid pair. “Let’s get prince charming and his entourage to bed.

“But we’re not tired,” Ino pouted.

“Not yet, but I’m thinking that you soon will be,” Temari responded. “And who knows what kind of a hangover you’re going to have tomorrow.”

Fuzzily, Shikamaru came to the conclusion that he agree with Temari’s assessment.

“She’s right,” he managed to get out and by a sheer act of willpower not laugh in the process. This wasn’t exactly like being drunk but more like the effects from too much nitrous at the dentist. He was hoping that like the nitrous there wouldn’t be a noticable “hangover” effect in the morning, but they really had no way to tell. “C’mon Ino, Sakura, Tenten, let’s go to bed.”

Ino’s eyes saucered and Sakura laughed out loud at this. “Why, Shikamaru, I thought you’d never ask.”

Tenten was apoplectic by now. Sakura worsened his humiliation by chortling out something to the effect that he was such a known lazybones that there was no way he would ever be able to… he wasn’t quite sure he got the word right over her laughter, but would have sworn it was ‘satisfy’.

Thankfully, Temari, like some clucking mother hen, shooed them all toward the tent. “Knock it off and get to sleep. I have Kankuro as a brother so I know what it’s like to deal with a hungover ninja. I don’t plan on putting up with four of you in that state tomorrow. Get some sleep now.”

Giggling, the three girls and Shikamaru made their way into the new hut. Shikamaru had to agree that it was much more pleasant this evening with the fire and the coverings to keep their heat in. It was especially pleasant to watch Ino and Sakura curl up together laughing against each other as Ino mumbled, “Tuck us in Temari.”

Temari faked a scowl but still did as she was asked, snapping a blanket open and draping it over the two girls . She shot him a smirk and a threatening look by firelight. “Don’t ask for a goodnight kiss, prince charming.”

“Darn,” he groaned theatrically as she stepped out.

“Good night, Shikamaru,” Tenten breathed sweetly against him. Somehow she had managed to settle herself between himself and the other two girls. In the glow cast from the firelight outside, he looked into her warm brown eyes. Quickly before he even realized what she was doing, she pressed her lips against his. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you a good night kiss.”

Surprised, at the brief interlude he wished very desperately to repeat it. But it was too late, Tenten had ducked her head down so that her face was now at the crook of his neck, her soft breath tickling against him, her lips that had only recently been on his now grazed against his collarbone. Unsure what protocol allowed in this situation he decided against seeing if perhaps he could tip her chin up and repeat the kiss. As her body, warm and pleasant snuggled against his, he settled for letting his arm slide about her waist.

Shikamaru drifted off to sleep with Tenten in his arms serenaded by the raucous voice of Temari teaching Hinata all seven bawdy verses of “What Do You Do With A Drunk Shinobi?”

He watches the enormous bird circling overhead.

Lazily circling.

Spiraling.

Coiling fear knotting in his gut joins it.

Something isn’t right about this.

An enemy with such sheer audacity, hubris.

Intent to draw out but who? What?

All his experience tells him an attack is imminent.

But what is the purpose?

Do they intend to lure Gaara out so they can attack the village?

Troops scurry to muster points.

My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less

He watches Gaara with pride.

Then he surveys troops ready for Kankuro’s and other commanders’ orders.

It would be easy to be lulled into a false sense of security behind Gaara’s sand and the village’s stone walls.

Some genin are cheering Gaara and Baki curtly reminds them that they are Suna’s last line of defense.

They straighten, unsure if it’s a rebuke or praise.

Good.

That’s what he wanted.

All Other Ground Is Sinking Sand

The attack on the village begins with bombs, the explosions are deafening.

Villagers panic and scatter like frightened chickens.

Troops rush to defend the breaches in the city walls, preparing for an invading force.

But it doesn’t make sense.

The numbers aren’t there.

There should be enemies at the gates.

He looks at the sky in the distance and his heart sinks as Gaara’s body sinks toward the sand.

He supposed there would always be factions.

Some citizens clamored for a new Kazekage right away.

Others would always be distrustful of Gaara no matter what.

Most were undecided.

Baki held off proffering Gaara’s name until he’d more of a chance to prove himself.

Letting the undecided make up their minds.

It would be easier when the will of the people was what Baki wanted in the first place.

Leave-taking

He watched Temari prepare to leave for Konoha.

It was hard to believe it was time for her to return to their academy as an instructor.

At least, that was the terminology he and Ibiki had agreed upon.

Nearly three years had passed.

Baki thought he would have gotten used to this by now.

It still remained difficult watching her go and wondering if she would make it back.

Don’t Get Too Comfortable

The stone hallways of the Kazekage building were shaded and cool.

Fountains babbled throughout, accenting the pleasant feeling.

Baki had grown accustomed to the sights and sounds of the administrative hub of Suna.

Gaara had been installed at the Kazekage for some time.

Both brothers had both proven to be able administrators.

Baki looked out at the desert and realized he wasn’t sure he was comfortable feeling so comfortable.

It was a war like no other.

Neat. Clean. Efficient.

Concluded in one night.

Regime change came while Suna slept.

The bribes required had been minimal.

Most citizens were simply weary of the previous Kage’s insanity and had been happy to look the other way.

As for the rest, well, a thousand throats can be slit in one night by a running man.

Or two boys and a girl.

Personal

Gaara had taken out the greatest number of threats.

Kankuro’s tally was next highest.

Baki noted Temari had assigned herself the smallest number.

The reason behind her choices had not been obvious to him at first.

Then he realized they were ones whom her father had considered ‘marriageable.’

When he questioned her she had smiled and told him she would rather it was their blood on the sheets.

Tea

The tea was pungent, dark and rich as he dispensed from the samovar into silver rimmed cups.

He added boiling water and served the three himself, passing hardened sugar around.

He had suffered through far too much weak tea in his time in Konoha.

Fragrant steam filled his senses.

He allowed himself a moment just to savor home.

After all this time it was good to return to civilization.