From the Abstract to the Practical

Chapter = Clever Escape, Alleys, and Dead Ends

Shika bided his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to escape. He really couldn’t take this much longer. He was exhausted from the hassle of it all. He needed to get someplace quiet and think. He’d seen the perfect place on the way to the resort when they had gone and dropped off their bags, before heading to the festival grounds.

At one point, Naruto dawdled behind the group, while the others were arguing about whether or not to split up. Ten Ten wanted to go one way and Sakura and Ino wanted to go the other. Amazing how when faced with a stronger opponent, those two could actually work together. Ten Ten was definitely the strongest willed girl in the group. She intimidated everyone, but Neji.

When the group did split up, one group had to wait for Naruto. Shikamaru stayed with that group for a few minutes and then moved off in the direction that Ten Ten had led Chouji and Hinata, without a word to anyone. He let them assume he was going with his best friend.

This group would think he was with Ten Ten’s little band and they already thought he’d stayed behind. It was perfect. He knew when and where they planned to meet back up, so he could just show up then. Finally.

About a half hour after he’d made the purchases that were still giving him the warm fuzzies, Naruto saw Ten Ten across the crowded square. Hinata was walking beside her and poor Chouji was carrying half a dozen packages, with about five shopping bags hanging from each arm. He looked, but couldn’t see Shikamaru.

“Hey Chouji”, he called out. Chouji looked around, but didn’t see him. He looked totally overwhelmed by it all. Naruto almost went to help him, but then he realized, if Shika was with Chouji, Chouji wouldn’t look like that. Chouji was always calmer when Shika was around. That meant…..That little sneak! Bet I know where…!

It turned out; Naruto hadn’t been watching Shika all day for nothing. He’d noticed something that told him exactly where to look. Naruto checked to see if anyone in his little group was paying attention to where he was, especially Neji, Kiba, or Akamaru. Nope, no one was watching. Naruto turned abruptly into the nearest alley and started to make his way back to the other side of town.

Neji turned around as Naruto moved out of his normal sight. Now where is he going? “Neji, we’re going over there, Kiba and Shino don’t want to come with us. Will you please keep an eye on Kiba and Akamaru?” Neji didn’t turn to look at Ino. He didn’t need to. “Sure.”

Naruto made his way through the labyrinth of alleys, always making sure to stay headed in approximately the right direction. These alleys were a maze, but he knew even if he had to meander a little, it had to be faster than trying to make it through the crowds.

As he was about to turn another corner, a noise stopped him cold. The sounds of a scuffle came to him from around that corner. Naruto leapt up to one of the long ledges that girded the building to his right.

With a ninja’s grace, he walked silently along the narrow ledge, looking for anything or anyone that might pose a threat. He only found two people in the alley ahead of him, two young men, close to his own age.

He paused, evaluating the situation, trying to determine who the aggressor was. Naruto wasn’t one to evaluate anything for long. So when one of the men pinned the other against a wall just below and to Naruto’s left, he started to move and then stopped so abruptly that he almost fell.

The aggressor held the other man against the wall with the weight of his body, while he pinned both the man’s wrists to the wall above his head with his right hand. He began forcefully kissing him, while his left hand moved to the man’s crotch.

Naruto regained some of his composure and was about to move in to help the pinned man, when that same young man broke away from the kiss and demanded “How much longer are you going to make me wait?! Damn it, touch me!”

Naruto almost fell off the ledge again. Oh shit! I have to get the hell out of here. Panic rose up out of his stomach and nearly choked him. He tried not to hear the sounds coming from behind him as he sped along the ledge and leapt to the roof top, tried not to hear. Those noises seemed to follow Naruto long after he could actually hear them.

The air was cool and clean. The sun was just starting to set, painting the clouds a beautiful orange and pink. Why’d it have to be orange? Shikamaru realized he was being petulant, but really didn’t care. He’d taken off the hood to feel the wind on his face. Instead, his stupid hair kept blowing and tickling his face and neck. Should just cut it all off, then this would never happen.

He began to sink further, grumbling and complaining about anything and everything to no one, but himself. I want to be near him, have to be. But, it hurts. It’s just too damn difficult. What the hell am I gonna do?! His thoughts continued down this path and he leaned against the little railing, seeing nothing of the beauty before him. Drowning in a sea of sky blue eyes and trying not to let frustrated tears leak from his own.

Naruto exited the alley. There was no other way to his destination. He wove through the crowd with the grace of someone trained to dance or combat. He didn’t think to downplay his movements.

His cheeks were stained red from memories of what he’d witnessed. He was intent on reaching his goal. Naruto tried to tell himself that what he’d seen, what he’d heard, had nothing to do with how desperate he felt to find Shika as soon as possible, to have some time alone with his ‘friend’.

No. No more lying to myself. I’ve been doing a lot of that lately.

I want to see him. I want to sort this out. I have to apologize for how I reacted. I know it had to have hurt him. I was cold and unfeeling. I disregarded the risk he’d taken, how much of himself he’d exposed to be hurt. Then I avoided him for over a week.

I’m an asshole.

I want to make this right. I need it to be right……but gods……..I want him to touch me again………gods how I want that…… His feet moved a little faster and soon he was past the shops and the houses and moving into the area of this village that held most of its parks and playing fields.

Shikamaru felt Naruto coming. He hadn’t really thought that he was one of those Ninja skilled enough to sense specific chakras, but he knew without a doubt that Naruto was headed towards him. And he knew Naruto was alone. Please go past the trail. Please. He pleaded.

Damn. Naruto was moving down the trail. He was coming slowly. Shikamaru wondered at how he’d recognized him. Well, I’ve only been obsessing about him for half a year. I was probably subconsciously obsessed before that. Then, I didn’t see him for over a week and he really was all I could think about. Maybe it is just a matter of raw senses. Who knows…who cares? What am I going to do? This place is a dead end. There’s no escape!

Shikamaru didn’t panic. There was no point. This was inevitable. He steeled himself as much as he could for whatever Naruto might say or do. I deserve it. After what I did to him, there isn’t much I don’t deserve. He moved back into the shadow of the rock wall next the railing, taking this chance to collect himself and waited.