A Troublesome Series of Events

Another short chapter. D: But it was just the best place to leave off in~. Yey plot twists! xD

Thanks for the other two reviews you guys! o3o -kiss-

--

Sasuke ran through the trees, heading towards Konoha as fast as he could manage. He’d slipped away from Orochimaru’s lair, intending to run away and make it on his own, with no village. But upon tasting his freedom, he realized that he wanted to speak with Shikamaru more than ever. The desire to see him had been a low thrum throughout the past month, eating away at his conscious.

“Damn snake, just letting him walk off…” He left off that he’d been hurt by not even getting to say good bye, feeling it was just too stupid for an Uchiha to speak aloud. Who says good bye to a prisoner you allowed to be raped in front of you?

Crossing the border, chakra masked as much as possible, he sped into Konoha and leaped across the roof tops. It was amazing, he hadn’t been there for years but it felt just like it used to when he sped around, chasing after the dobe for being a moron or escaping fan girls. He sighed, hating the nostalgic feelings that were welling up. He was only here to see Shikamaru, no one else.

“Where are you…?” He felt around, trying to remember where Shikamaru lived and failing. Had he ever known? He eventually found it, speeding along to the place and slipping in threw the window. “Shikamaru? Are you awake?” He called softly into the room Shikamaru was in, guessing it was a bedroom.

Shikamaru grumbled into his pillow, burrowing deeper into his bed and the cocoon he’d made with his blankets. He started drifting off into sleep again until the voice registered and he bolted upright, eyes wide. He turned around, staring at Sasuke and clutching at his blanket.

“Sasuke?!” he hissed. “What the hell are you doing here!”

“I came to see you.” Sasuke said matter-of-factly, stepping further into the room. He glanced around, but saw no chairs in the room. He chose to stand instead, looking down on the boy. He had considered seeing Naruto as well, but… the blond would have had a more volatile reaction to his presence.

Shikamaru stared up at him in disbelief. He shook his head, heaving a sigh.

“I find that very hard to believe, Sasuke. Just what’s going on?”

Sasuke frowned, looking down on the Nara.

“I did. I’ve abandoned Orochimaru. I don’t know where I’m going after this.” He explained simply, crossing his arms and looking over Shikamaru. He seemed better then the last time he’d seen him, definitely.

Shikamaru studied the Uchiha silently, searching for anything that could prove it was a lie. He glanced away, frowning when he found none.

“Tch. Why come back here? You know you’re not going to get exactly a warm welcome.”

“I’m not staying in Konoha. I simply came here because I… don’t know where else to go for now. You won’t kill me.” Sasuke said. Truthfully, he’d been contemplating infiltrating one of the villages that wouldn’t recognize him or wouldn’t mind housing him from Konoha.

“And then what are you going to do? Hide from everyone?” he asked, almost snapping at him. “You think you can avoid Orochimaru and Naruto forever? You need to choose a side, Sasuke, and you know that.”

“I’m on my own side, until I kill Itachi. Then I will return to Konoha.” He ended softly, almost pleadingly of the Nara. He stepped forward, towards the younger boy, making a small dismissive gesture with his hands. “I’ve only come to see you. How you are. I… think I’ll be leaving tonight, so I’ve only got a couple of hours.”

Shikamaru looked down at his hands, tightening his hold on the blanket. For once he couldn’t seem to organize his thoughts properly. He didn’t want to see the other leave and he couldn’t for the life of him figure out why he cared so much. He shouldn’t.

“You’d have a better chance finding him if you stayed here, you know,” he muttered.

Sasuke cocked his head at Shikamaru, standing only a few feet from the boy’s bed now. He frowned, thinking on what he had said.

“How so?” He asked. He didn’t see how Konoha would help him find Itachi. The village kept things from its inhabitants, keeping secrets so that the young wouldn’t be hurt. In the eyes of people over twice his age, he was still young.

Shikamaru quirked an eyebrow, looking up at him again. He really didn’t see how the Uchiha could be such a genius and yet miss such small facts and leads.

“Tch, troublesome,” he muttered, scratching the side of his face. “Despite defecting—in probably the worst way possible, I might add—you still have a surprising amount of friends in Konoha. They might not be friendly at first, not that I’d blame them, but they do still care.”

He sighed and leaned back against his headboard. “And besides all that, there’s the fact that Naruto’s his next target. Or did you forget that? Obviously the Akatsuki’s going to be putting surveillance around Konoha. If Orochimaru was right and they’re looking for me, too, well… that’s two people here they’re after. He’s bound to show up.”

“But how would I catch Itachi that way? Shikamaru, I believe I’m strong enough to kill him now, but that doesn’t mean I could sense him if he entered the village. I would have to live and interact full time with either you or Naruto, so that if he showed up to catch one of you I would be there to kill him.” Sasuke said, shaking his head.

“And what friends? Sakura adored me for my looks, she never knew me. I never knew the others. My only friend was Naruto and I…” He trailed off, eyes flicking away from the boy, slightly downcast. He’d almost followed in Itachi’s footsteps exactly.

“I’m sure you could manage.” He frowned, watching him closely. “As far as I can tell, your whole team cared for you. And who says you can’t gain more friends, once you prove yourself trustworthy again? Either way, it’s still a higher probability that he’d show up here than anywhere else. And re-joining Konoha wouldn’t be any easier if you killed him first or not.”

“But I could focus more on rejoining Konoha after I killed Itachi. I could focus on reclaiming the life he stole from me.” Sasuke countered, moving one hand in a flippant gesture. “The only friends I have or need are you and the dobe, and the dobe would freak if I showed up on his doorstep or if he found out I was trying to return to Konoha.”

“Why not just start your own life for once? Worry about what you’re going to eat later instead of your life in your own home. Why don’t you make a new family instead of clinging to the lost memories of one?” Shikamaru asked back, eyes narrowed a little. “You could do that if you stay in Konoha. As… As a friend, then, I’m asking why can’t you do that?”

“I can’t because I don’t want to. I don’t want a family, I’m not ready for that and it’s unnecessary until Itachi is killed. What if I started a family and Itachi decided to kill them to? What if I was away on a mission my wife and child were slaughtered by that psycho?” Sasuke said, eyes narrowing and wincing, hands articulating his cause with quick jerks and twitching fingers. Plus, he wasn’t so sure he wanted a family anymore either...

Shikamaru looked away again, shoulders sagging a little.

“If that’s how you think, then you should go,” he muttered. “And I don’t think you should return to Konoha either.”

Sasuke looked at him, slight apprehension stilling his features. He didn’t like the way the Nara had said that. He didn’t like how he’d been dismissed, how Shikamaru had just given up…

“Why the sudden change of heart, Shikamaru?”

Shikamaru was silent, staring down at the sheets with narrowed eyes. He knew the Uchiha deserved an answer but he wasn’t even sure how to answer it. He didn’t want to just shove his problems onto Sasuke, and that’s what they were—his. It wouldn’t be fair to tell him, when he wouldn’t even want…

He sighed, shaking his head and only saying, “If you’re not going to stay in Konoha starting now, don’t return.”

Sasuke gave Shikamaru a questioning look. Shikamaru didn’t want him to come back? The Nara was practically telling him to never return, unless he chose this moment… He shouldn’t have to choose. The Nara didn’t control Konoha. Then why… did it feel like he had to?

“Why do I need to stay now? What’s wrong with leaving for another year or two and then returning, the bastard gone for good?” He asked gently, wondering why he was bothering to care so much for the other boy’s opinion.

“Because in a year or two it won’t matter.” He made an annoyed sound and moved his arms, hands gripping lightly at the sides of his head and his elbows resting on his knees.

“It would… be too awkward. For me.”

“Awkward? Why would it be awkward? Shikamaru, what aren’t you telling me?” Sasuke asked, stepping forward and crouching down near the boy still situated on his bed. He looked at him, his eyes questioning the other’s motives, wondering what was going on.

“Sasuke, I…” he glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “Something happened. We’re not sure if it was the serum or the curse mark or… what. But, somehow, I—“ he lifted his head to look at the other fully “—I’m pregnant.”