A Tale of Two Geniuses
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Naruto › Yaoi - Male/Male
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Adult ++
Chapters:
9
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Category:
Naruto › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
9
Views:
1,715
Reviews:
7
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Caged
Caged (Naruto, Neji/Shika, #15)
Title: Caged
Author/Artist:
Pairing: Neji/Shika
Fandom: Naruto
Theme: 15 - The Bordello
Warnings: Slavery and angst. Hurt/comfort. I thought I was finished with angst after the last chapter, but I was wrong. Oh, and if you thought the last story ended in a horrible cliffhanger... I'm sorry, I'm not being a nice author, am I?
Disclaimer: I was not given ownership of Naruto for Christmas, more's the pity.
***
After several long consultations with Lee, who was on enforced recovery time, Shikamaru began to see a better picture of the mess that Neji and Tenten were in. The circle of slave traders was not a small organization of a handful of miscreants, but a society that included most if not all of the town that of Akaicho. The three jounins who were sent to close down the operation were completely unprepared for the scale of the task. Perhaps if the Hokage had been better informed, a larger party could have been sent and the mission successfully completed. Perhaps then Neji and Tenten would be safely home, and Lee uninjured.
It was decided by the Hokage that the original mission would now take a back seat while the two Konoha ninja were retrieved. The rescue mission would also be a good opportunity to gather more intelligence on this organization for the eventual completion of the original mission.
For the rescue mission, Shikamaru chose his former team-mates, Akimichi Choji and Yamanaka Ino. The three of them were still close friends, though usually more through Choji and Ino's efforts to keep in touch than his own. Shikamaru often forgot to call or visit his friends.
He explained his plan to Choji and Ino as they began the lengthly journey to Earth Country. "We're going to do this undercover. That's why I said you should bring civilian clothes." The two nodded. Neither were wearing anything to indicate that they might be ninja; no bandages, no fishnet, no forehead protectors and ordinary shoes. Shikamaru continued. "There's no way that we can take on the whole town, but if we're careful, we can extract Neji and Tenten and bring them home." His hands clenched into fists and his jaw set, indicating how much he'd like to exact revenge on the slavers, but there would be time for that later.
"We'll make a small base outside Akaicho, which we can return to at night. We know their inns aren't safe. Now, the story is that you, Choji, and Ino are a married couple looking for a slave. For housework or pleasure, if you think you can pull that off."
Choji shuddered. "Just the thought of buying a person is so wrong," he said. Ino agreed.
"Yeah, I know, but it's the best way to get close to the slaves and find Neji and Tenten. I don't know if they're being sold or hired out, but we have to be prepared for either. I want the two of you to track down and... obtain... Tenten. Make sure she's okay, then bring her straight back out to the base. I don't want you to cause a commotion that could jeopardise our escape. I'll meet you there with Neji."
Ino eyed him shrewdly. "Do you think it's such a good idea going in alone to get him?" She worried a little that Shikamaru's emotions would get him in trouble.
Shikamaru's face was determined. "I want you two to stay together, for your own safety. I'll be fine."
~~~
Three days and nights passed before they arrived at a spot that Lee had described to Shikamaru as a good spot for their hidden base, about an hour out of town. It was beside a small branch off a larger creek, so there was fresh water available, but it was still not in a well-trafficked location.
The two chuunins and Shikamaru washed themselves in the cool running water, then dressed ready to play their parts in the rescue mission. When Ino clung to to Choji's arm and cried "Oh, Cho-chaaan! You said you'd find me a housemaid," they looked every part the upper middle-class spoiled wife and indulgent husband. It made Shikamaru wince at the thought that he could have ended up with a wife like that, if he'd followed his father's path. The path of the doormat.
Shikamaru gave them a nod of approval and reminded them to return to the base as soon as they had Tenten. The two walked sedately off in the direction of the town of Akaicho. Shikamaru slumped against a tree. There was always an underlying anxiety when he planned missions, a worry that something would go wrong. Usually, though, it was hidden by a buzz of excitement. That buzz hadn't begun yet, as he'd decided to wait a couple of hours before following Ino and Choji. He used up some of the time hiding their packs in the bushes, then wandered away from the camp so as to approach Akaicho from a different direction.
~~~
For Ino, the hardest thing with this mission was hiding her sense of moral outrage at just about everything in this town. People walked people on leashes, for crying out loud! And there were a few nearly naked people with collars clearly running errands. She gripped Choji's arm a little tighter, and he patted her hand soothingly. They passed an inn, presumably the one that Neji and Tenten had been captured at.
"You know," said Ino, almost conversationally. "I wouldn't know where to buy a slave in this place. It's not a small town."
"Uh, Ino? Perhaps there is a good place to start."
Ino looked in the direction Choji indicated and saw a large brick building. Akaicho Slave Market She suppressed a shudder, putting on a bright smile in case anyone was looking in their direction. Though all her impulses urged her to do the opposite, she tugged on Choji's arm. "Come on, Cho-chan, I want that slave you promised me." She pouted petulantly, dragging him towards the building.
~~~
Shikamaru stood inside the entryway of the slave market. He faced two archways. Overhead one of them was written 'sales', and 'rentals' over the other. On first thought, it seemed even chance that Neji could be in either section. He tried to think about it from the perspective of a slave trader. If he had a really beautiful slave - and Neji was beautiful - he'd hire the slave out to get the most income. Then, when interest waned, perhaps sell him.
"Can I help you, sir?" A heavily made-up woman with a gravity-defying hairstyle tottered up to him in impossibly high heels. She wasn't wearing a collar, so presumably she was a paid employee.
Shikamaru smiled condescendingly at her, the picture of a confident patron. "I'm looking to hire a slave for the evening."
"Very well, sir," she responded. "Follow me. We've a slave to fit your every need." They walked through the 'rentals' archway. The sound of voices was a dull roar permeating the high-roofed hall. The room was lined on either side with cages, each just over two metres square. Most contained one slave each, although some had two. "Do you prefer female or male?" asked the woman.
"Male."
She led him to the right hand side of the room. "All the males are on this side. Tell me if any take your fancy, and I'll bring them out so you can have a closer look." She paused in front of the first cage. "This one's popular. Obedient, too, and quite talented."
Shikamaru looked at the man in the cage. No, it was a boy, and he couldn't have been more than fourteen. A twist of anger and sickness tightened in the pit of his stomach. "Too young," was all he managed to get out, before walking on, unable to look at the naked boy any longer.
"Okay," said the woman. "We'll not worry about the next three." They walked on. "This is our newest addition, though he's broken in nicely. Very well-behaved." She indicated the fourth cage. Shikamaru looked in, hoping that it would be Neji, but he was disappointed. It was an older man with short red hair, who was toying idly with his collar. He didn't even look up as they stopped in front of his cage. Shikamaru shook his head in a negative, and they walked on.
"This next one is quite new, too, and proving to be a popular choice. He's a little on the exotic side, and a bit fiery. We keep him under mild sedation, but still," she chuckled. "He takes it like a man. We don't allow him off the property at the moment, on account of his aggressiveness, but we do have rooms here you can utilise if you're still interested in him. If you like a challenge."
Sitting in the cage on the rough blanket covering the ground was Neji. His head was slightly bowed in apparent meditation. His hair hung down over his shoulders and his bare chest, and with his legs crossed, it was obvious that he wasn't wearing anything at all. The curse seal on his forehead was revealed for all to see, and Shikamaru felt an inner twinge of embarrassment and anger, knowing how Neji preferred to keep it covered.
"He has amazing eyes," the saleswoman told him. She looked at Neji with contempt. "Hey! Number twelve! Present yourself."
Neji looked up, and Shikamaru prayed that he wouldn't show any signs of recognition. Unhurriedly, the Hyuuga got to his feet. He stood tall, his family pride still keeping him strong despite the humiliations he had been subjected to. His eyes lingered on Shikamaru's for a moment, then he turned his glare towards the woman. "Another one, is it? It seems I'm making you a pretty penny."
She scowled. "Don't talk back, number twelve. If you're going to be difficult, I'll up your sedative. You won't even feel the pleasure in whatever he's going to do with you."
Shikamaru forced a chuckle. "No need for that. I think I can handle him."
The saleswoman looked dubious. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure." He flashed Neji a challenging look. "I like them to have a little fight. Show us to the rooms."
~~~
In the other part of the slave market, Choji was haggling with a salesman over the price of buying Tenten, while Ino looked on. "She's never worth that much! What is she, a qualified cook or something?"
"I'm sure she can cook. Most women can, hey? But you can clearly see her assets. She's worth more as a pleasure slave, I think." The man gestured to where Tenten sat in the cage, arms crossed over her bare chest and blushing miserably. "Arms by your sides, sweetheart."
Tenten obeyed, blinking back tears of embarrassment. The welts on her back smarted, reminding her of the price of disobedience. In the end, it was much less painful to co-operate, although being unco-operative had prevented her being sold a number of times. The appearance of Ino and Choji had rekindled the flame of hope within her. They were going to rescue her, but she couldn't let the hope show, nor let on that she knew them.
"We do accept trade-ins, you know." The salesman leered at Ino, who looked understandably indignant.
Choji let out a huge belly laugh. "You want the missus? Ahh, you'd be regretting it, I tell you!" Ino smacked him upside the head. Choji rubbed the rapidly bruising area ruefully. "Ahh, women. So, honey, do you want this one, then?"
"Yes." Ino sulked at the joke made at her expense.
Choji nodded and counted coins into the salesman's hands as the thin man beamed. "Good choice, sir, and madam." He pocketed the coins and unclipped a leash from his belt. Pulling out a bunch of keys, he opened Tenten's cage and approached her. "We'll be sorry to see you go, number eleven. Your feistiness has been an entertainment." He lifted a small keypad from his pocket and pressed in a code. Tenten's collar opened with a click and he removed it, buckling a smooth leather collar in its place. He clipped the leash to it and led her out of the cage, giving the end of the leash to Ino.
"Why the different collar?" queried Choji.
"Ahh, these are control collars. We don't sell them, but they're useful for controlling slaves. They're remotely controlled by these keypads," he waved his keypad, "We can administer varying doses of sedatives through them, and they also restrict the chakra of a person."
Ino's eyes widened. "Chakra?"
"Yeah, it's kind of like a person's life energy. It fluctuates when a person is becoming aggressive, so controlling it stops that. Also, ninja use it, and we have a few slaves who were captured ninjas, so it stops them doing any tricks. The sedative controls the rest."
The two nodded like it was all new to them and thanked the salesman, before leaving with Tenten. They didn't speak to her or let her off the leash until they were safely back at their hidden base. Then Ino pulled the collar and leash off of her and threw it fiercely into the stream. "That was so awful!" she cried. "Oh, Tenten, how did you cope?" She located her pack and dragged out a spare set of clothes, turning to give them to the older girl.
Tenten took them gratefully, her lower lip trembling. Once she was dressed, both Choji and Ino put their arms around her and she sobbed into Choji's chest. "It was horrible. Horrible! Like I was a... a piece of meat... or something!" Her shoulders shook as Ino rubbed her back soothingly.
"It's okay," the blonde girl murmured. "You're safe now. We just need to wait for Shikamaru to get back with Neji."
"Did you really save up all that money just to buy me? It was a lot," Tenten asked, wiping the tears from her eyes with the heel of her hand.
"Your worth can't be measured by money," Choji assured her. "But I admit, we cheated."
Ino flexed her fingers, looking gleeful. "That was me! I've been working on a form of Kawarimi no Jutsu. In about an hour, that bastard will find he has a pocket full of rocks." She sighed. "If I really thought about it, I should have put an exploding tag in with them."
Tenten smiled wanly at the idea of it. Yes, she'd very much like to see that whole town blown to pieces.
~~~
The saleswoman ushered Shikamaru and Neji into one of the hireable rooms. It looked like a fairly ordinary bedroom with an ensuite off to one side. "If there are any problems, use this speakerphone." She indicated a speaker by the door. "Just press the button and talk. Feel free to investigate anything in the room. There are all sorts of oils in the bathroom, and a toy chest at the foot of the bed. Enjoy yourself." She handed the end of Neji's leash to Shikamaru. "Try and be finished by dawn. That's when we'll collect him, unless you want to pay for a second session."
Shikamaru nodded his understanding, and the woman left, closing the door behind her. He could hear the clicking of her heels fading as she walked away. He breathed a sigh of relief and turned to speak to Neji. Before he could open his mouth, however, he was pressed hard against the wall and Neji's mouth was on his. The kiss was rough, desperate, and though his first impulse was to just enjoy it, he needed to talk to Neji first. He pushed Neji back, with some effort.
"Neji! Stop for just a moment."
The Hyuuga paused, his eyes afire and his breathing heavy. His hands stroked Shikamaru's face, caressed his neck as if he couldn't believe it was really him. "Shika, please, don't deny me this." He leaned in for another kiss, and it took all of Shikamaru's willpower to resist it.
"Neji, just wait." He gave his lover a no-nonsense glare. "We need to talk. I need to get you out of here. Choji and Ino should be safely out of here with Tenten by now. We need to get moving too." He looked around the room, which had one small external window. "Perhaps the window. Or maybe the ventilation ducts in the ceiling."
Neji turned Shikamaru's head back to face him. "Shikamaru, we have until dawn. It's not even dark yet. I need this. I need you." Neji's hands were trembling against Shikamaru's cheeks. "I don't have even half of my usual strength. I can't use my chakra at all. Sometimes when they hired me out, they completely sedated me and I couldn't do anything but lie there while they did as they pleased." The delicate man gave a shudder of remembered horror. "Please, now that we're together, please remind me that it's not all bad. Remind me that it feels good." A single tear spilled down one of his cheeks, and that, more than the imploring words, broke Shikamaru's resolve.
He gathered Neji into his arms, kissing the tear away and pressing kisses all over his face. "Neji... Neji, it'll be alright," he murmured between kisses. "We're getting out of here, going back home, to Konoha." He kissed Neji's lips softly and Neji responded, weakly at first, but with growing hunger.
They stumbled to the bed, Neji tugging at Shikamaru's clothing, needing to feel the other man's skin against his own. Shikamaru took off his clothes, pressing his body against Neji's. It felt good to have his lover back in his arms again. He didn't want to trigger any bad memories, though, so he let Neji make the moves. It wasn't long before he was writhing beneath the Hyuuga as his cock was engulfed in that talented mouth.
"Gods, Neji, I'm going to come... ah! But I don't know if you want..." He let the sentence trail off as Neji looked up at him with determination and passion written all over his face before lowering his head and sucking with renewed enthusiasm. Shikamaru gripped the bedcovers, crying out his lover's name as he reached his climax.
Neji crawled up over his lover's body and kissed him deeply, his tongue giving Shikamaru a taste of himself. "Wait here," said Neji, climbing off the bed and heading into the bathroom, returning moments later with a glass bottle. He settled himself between Shikamaru's legs.
"Lube?" queried Shikamaru.
Neji nodded, pouring a little onto his hand. "Yes, but it's a little bit different." He dipped his finger into the liquid in his palm and traced a line down Shikamaru's chest. Shikamaru regarded him curiously for a moment, then surprise registered on his face.
"It tingles! It's kind of warm, and... tingly!" He was at a loss for adjectives. Neji smiled and applied some to Shikamaru's entrance, watching the faces his lover made. He slipped two fingers slowly into Shikamaru, keeping their eyes locked together. With Shikamaru, he could almost forget that he was still at the hated slave markets, almost forget how he had been violated for more than a week. They were going to escape, just as soon as they finished what they were doing. Feeling that Shikamaru was ready, he slipped out his fingers and replaced them with his cock in one smooth move. They both cried out loudly in joyful relief.
"You feel so good," whispered Neji. "So tight." He slowly pulled his hips back, then pushed back in.
Shikamaru wrapped his arms around Neji's neck, pulling him down into a deep kiss. "I missed you," he said softly, before locking his lips to Neji's.
Neji kept up a slow and gentle rhythm, savouring every second of each thrust into his lover and pulling out only to push back in and enjoy it all again. Finally, despite the slow pace, he felt that tightening in his lower body that warned him that the end was imminent. He moved one arm, supporting himself with the other, and took Shikamaru's hand, interweaving their fingers. His pace quickened slightly and he gritted his teeth as his breath came harder. At the moment of climax, he again locked eyes with Shikamaru, and managed to gasp out three words he'd never managed to say consecutively together. "I love you."
Then Neji fell unconscious onto Shikamaru's chest. Shikamaru caught him. "Neji?" he called softly, concerned. He shook his lover gently by the shoulders. "Neji, wake up!"
At that moment, the door burst open, and two people stormed into the room. The saleswoman hovered by the door. "That's the one," said one of the men, well-groomed and wearing business attire. "He's the one that came in at the same time as number eleven. They paid for her with fake coins. If she was being rescued, makes sense that he would be too."
The other man lifted a dart gun. "No matter, this one can take her place." He pulled the trigger, and Shikamaru was unable to get completely out of the way, due to being pinned under the unconscious Neji. The dart sank into his arm and darkness overcame him.
*** END ***
Title: Caged
Author/Artist:
Pairing: Neji/Shika
Fandom: Naruto
Theme: 15 - The Bordello
Warnings: Slavery and angst. Hurt/comfort. I thought I was finished with angst after the last chapter, but I was wrong. Oh, and if you thought the last story ended in a horrible cliffhanger... I'm sorry, I'm not being a nice author, am I?
Disclaimer: I was not given ownership of Naruto for Christmas, more's the pity.
***
After several long consultations with Lee, who was on enforced recovery time, Shikamaru began to see a better picture of the mess that Neji and Tenten were in. The circle of slave traders was not a small organization of a handful of miscreants, but a society that included most if not all of the town that of Akaicho. The three jounins who were sent to close down the operation were completely unprepared for the scale of the task. Perhaps if the Hokage had been better informed, a larger party could have been sent and the mission successfully completed. Perhaps then Neji and Tenten would be safely home, and Lee uninjured.
It was decided by the Hokage that the original mission would now take a back seat while the two Konoha ninja were retrieved. The rescue mission would also be a good opportunity to gather more intelligence on this organization for the eventual completion of the original mission.
For the rescue mission, Shikamaru chose his former team-mates, Akimichi Choji and Yamanaka Ino. The three of them were still close friends, though usually more through Choji and Ino's efforts to keep in touch than his own. Shikamaru often forgot to call or visit his friends.
He explained his plan to Choji and Ino as they began the lengthly journey to Earth Country. "We're going to do this undercover. That's why I said you should bring civilian clothes." The two nodded. Neither were wearing anything to indicate that they might be ninja; no bandages, no fishnet, no forehead protectors and ordinary shoes. Shikamaru continued. "There's no way that we can take on the whole town, but if we're careful, we can extract Neji and Tenten and bring them home." His hands clenched into fists and his jaw set, indicating how much he'd like to exact revenge on the slavers, but there would be time for that later.
"We'll make a small base outside Akaicho, which we can return to at night. We know their inns aren't safe. Now, the story is that you, Choji, and Ino are a married couple looking for a slave. For housework or pleasure, if you think you can pull that off."
Choji shuddered. "Just the thought of buying a person is so wrong," he said. Ino agreed.
"Yeah, I know, but it's the best way to get close to the slaves and find Neji and Tenten. I don't know if they're being sold or hired out, but we have to be prepared for either. I want the two of you to track down and... obtain... Tenten. Make sure she's okay, then bring her straight back out to the base. I don't want you to cause a commotion that could jeopardise our escape. I'll meet you there with Neji."
Ino eyed him shrewdly. "Do you think it's such a good idea going in alone to get him?" She worried a little that Shikamaru's emotions would get him in trouble.
Shikamaru's face was determined. "I want you two to stay together, for your own safety. I'll be fine."
~~~
Three days and nights passed before they arrived at a spot that Lee had described to Shikamaru as a good spot for their hidden base, about an hour out of town. It was beside a small branch off a larger creek, so there was fresh water available, but it was still not in a well-trafficked location.
The two chuunins and Shikamaru washed themselves in the cool running water, then dressed ready to play their parts in the rescue mission. When Ino clung to to Choji's arm and cried "Oh, Cho-chaaan! You said you'd find me a housemaid," they looked every part the upper middle-class spoiled wife and indulgent husband. It made Shikamaru wince at the thought that he could have ended up with a wife like that, if he'd followed his father's path. The path of the doormat.
Shikamaru gave them a nod of approval and reminded them to return to the base as soon as they had Tenten. The two walked sedately off in the direction of the town of Akaicho. Shikamaru slumped against a tree. There was always an underlying anxiety when he planned missions, a worry that something would go wrong. Usually, though, it was hidden by a buzz of excitement. That buzz hadn't begun yet, as he'd decided to wait a couple of hours before following Ino and Choji. He used up some of the time hiding their packs in the bushes, then wandered away from the camp so as to approach Akaicho from a different direction.
~~~
For Ino, the hardest thing with this mission was hiding her sense of moral outrage at just about everything in this town. People walked people on leashes, for crying out loud! And there were a few nearly naked people with collars clearly running errands. She gripped Choji's arm a little tighter, and he patted her hand soothingly. They passed an inn, presumably the one that Neji and Tenten had been captured at.
"You know," said Ino, almost conversationally. "I wouldn't know where to buy a slave in this place. It's not a small town."
"Uh, Ino? Perhaps there is a good place to start."
Ino looked in the direction Choji indicated and saw a large brick building. Akaicho Slave Market She suppressed a shudder, putting on a bright smile in case anyone was looking in their direction. Though all her impulses urged her to do the opposite, she tugged on Choji's arm. "Come on, Cho-chan, I want that slave you promised me." She pouted petulantly, dragging him towards the building.
~~~
Shikamaru stood inside the entryway of the slave market. He faced two archways. Overhead one of them was written 'sales', and 'rentals' over the other. On first thought, it seemed even chance that Neji could be in either section. He tried to think about it from the perspective of a slave trader. If he had a really beautiful slave - and Neji was beautiful - he'd hire the slave out to get the most income. Then, when interest waned, perhaps sell him.
"Can I help you, sir?" A heavily made-up woman with a gravity-defying hairstyle tottered up to him in impossibly high heels. She wasn't wearing a collar, so presumably she was a paid employee.
Shikamaru smiled condescendingly at her, the picture of a confident patron. "I'm looking to hire a slave for the evening."
"Very well, sir," she responded. "Follow me. We've a slave to fit your every need." They walked through the 'rentals' archway. The sound of voices was a dull roar permeating the high-roofed hall. The room was lined on either side with cages, each just over two metres square. Most contained one slave each, although some had two. "Do you prefer female or male?" asked the woman.
"Male."
She led him to the right hand side of the room. "All the males are on this side. Tell me if any take your fancy, and I'll bring them out so you can have a closer look." She paused in front of the first cage. "This one's popular. Obedient, too, and quite talented."
Shikamaru looked at the man in the cage. No, it was a boy, and he couldn't have been more than fourteen. A twist of anger and sickness tightened in the pit of his stomach. "Too young," was all he managed to get out, before walking on, unable to look at the naked boy any longer.
"Okay," said the woman. "We'll not worry about the next three." They walked on. "This is our newest addition, though he's broken in nicely. Very well-behaved." She indicated the fourth cage. Shikamaru looked in, hoping that it would be Neji, but he was disappointed. It was an older man with short red hair, who was toying idly with his collar. He didn't even look up as they stopped in front of his cage. Shikamaru shook his head in a negative, and they walked on.
"This next one is quite new, too, and proving to be a popular choice. He's a little on the exotic side, and a bit fiery. We keep him under mild sedation, but still," she chuckled. "He takes it like a man. We don't allow him off the property at the moment, on account of his aggressiveness, but we do have rooms here you can utilise if you're still interested in him. If you like a challenge."
Sitting in the cage on the rough blanket covering the ground was Neji. His head was slightly bowed in apparent meditation. His hair hung down over his shoulders and his bare chest, and with his legs crossed, it was obvious that he wasn't wearing anything at all. The curse seal on his forehead was revealed for all to see, and Shikamaru felt an inner twinge of embarrassment and anger, knowing how Neji preferred to keep it covered.
"He has amazing eyes," the saleswoman told him. She looked at Neji with contempt. "Hey! Number twelve! Present yourself."
Neji looked up, and Shikamaru prayed that he wouldn't show any signs of recognition. Unhurriedly, the Hyuuga got to his feet. He stood tall, his family pride still keeping him strong despite the humiliations he had been subjected to. His eyes lingered on Shikamaru's for a moment, then he turned his glare towards the woman. "Another one, is it? It seems I'm making you a pretty penny."
She scowled. "Don't talk back, number twelve. If you're going to be difficult, I'll up your sedative. You won't even feel the pleasure in whatever he's going to do with you."
Shikamaru forced a chuckle. "No need for that. I think I can handle him."
The saleswoman looked dubious. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure." He flashed Neji a challenging look. "I like them to have a little fight. Show us to the rooms."
~~~
In the other part of the slave market, Choji was haggling with a salesman over the price of buying Tenten, while Ino looked on. "She's never worth that much! What is she, a qualified cook or something?"
"I'm sure she can cook. Most women can, hey? But you can clearly see her assets. She's worth more as a pleasure slave, I think." The man gestured to where Tenten sat in the cage, arms crossed over her bare chest and blushing miserably. "Arms by your sides, sweetheart."
Tenten obeyed, blinking back tears of embarrassment. The welts on her back smarted, reminding her of the price of disobedience. In the end, it was much less painful to co-operate, although being unco-operative had prevented her being sold a number of times. The appearance of Ino and Choji had rekindled the flame of hope within her. They were going to rescue her, but she couldn't let the hope show, nor let on that she knew them.
"We do accept trade-ins, you know." The salesman leered at Ino, who looked understandably indignant.
Choji let out a huge belly laugh. "You want the missus? Ahh, you'd be regretting it, I tell you!" Ino smacked him upside the head. Choji rubbed the rapidly bruising area ruefully. "Ahh, women. So, honey, do you want this one, then?"
"Yes." Ino sulked at the joke made at her expense.
Choji nodded and counted coins into the salesman's hands as the thin man beamed. "Good choice, sir, and madam." He pocketed the coins and unclipped a leash from his belt. Pulling out a bunch of keys, he opened Tenten's cage and approached her. "We'll be sorry to see you go, number eleven. Your feistiness has been an entertainment." He lifted a small keypad from his pocket and pressed in a code. Tenten's collar opened with a click and he removed it, buckling a smooth leather collar in its place. He clipped the leash to it and led her out of the cage, giving the end of the leash to Ino.
"Why the different collar?" queried Choji.
"Ahh, these are control collars. We don't sell them, but they're useful for controlling slaves. They're remotely controlled by these keypads," he waved his keypad, "We can administer varying doses of sedatives through them, and they also restrict the chakra of a person."
Ino's eyes widened. "Chakra?"
"Yeah, it's kind of like a person's life energy. It fluctuates when a person is becoming aggressive, so controlling it stops that. Also, ninja use it, and we have a few slaves who were captured ninjas, so it stops them doing any tricks. The sedative controls the rest."
The two nodded like it was all new to them and thanked the salesman, before leaving with Tenten. They didn't speak to her or let her off the leash until they were safely back at their hidden base. Then Ino pulled the collar and leash off of her and threw it fiercely into the stream. "That was so awful!" she cried. "Oh, Tenten, how did you cope?" She located her pack and dragged out a spare set of clothes, turning to give them to the older girl.
Tenten took them gratefully, her lower lip trembling. Once she was dressed, both Choji and Ino put their arms around her and she sobbed into Choji's chest. "It was horrible. Horrible! Like I was a... a piece of meat... or something!" Her shoulders shook as Ino rubbed her back soothingly.
"It's okay," the blonde girl murmured. "You're safe now. We just need to wait for Shikamaru to get back with Neji."
"Did you really save up all that money just to buy me? It was a lot," Tenten asked, wiping the tears from her eyes with the heel of her hand.
"Your worth can't be measured by money," Choji assured her. "But I admit, we cheated."
Ino flexed her fingers, looking gleeful. "That was me! I've been working on a form of Kawarimi no Jutsu. In about an hour, that bastard will find he has a pocket full of rocks." She sighed. "If I really thought about it, I should have put an exploding tag in with them."
Tenten smiled wanly at the idea of it. Yes, she'd very much like to see that whole town blown to pieces.
~~~
The saleswoman ushered Shikamaru and Neji into one of the hireable rooms. It looked like a fairly ordinary bedroom with an ensuite off to one side. "If there are any problems, use this speakerphone." She indicated a speaker by the door. "Just press the button and talk. Feel free to investigate anything in the room. There are all sorts of oils in the bathroom, and a toy chest at the foot of the bed. Enjoy yourself." She handed the end of Neji's leash to Shikamaru. "Try and be finished by dawn. That's when we'll collect him, unless you want to pay for a second session."
Shikamaru nodded his understanding, and the woman left, closing the door behind her. He could hear the clicking of her heels fading as she walked away. He breathed a sigh of relief and turned to speak to Neji. Before he could open his mouth, however, he was pressed hard against the wall and Neji's mouth was on his. The kiss was rough, desperate, and though his first impulse was to just enjoy it, he needed to talk to Neji first. He pushed Neji back, with some effort.
"Neji! Stop for just a moment."
The Hyuuga paused, his eyes afire and his breathing heavy. His hands stroked Shikamaru's face, caressed his neck as if he couldn't believe it was really him. "Shika, please, don't deny me this." He leaned in for another kiss, and it took all of Shikamaru's willpower to resist it.
"Neji, just wait." He gave his lover a no-nonsense glare. "We need to talk. I need to get you out of here. Choji and Ino should be safely out of here with Tenten by now. We need to get moving too." He looked around the room, which had one small external window. "Perhaps the window. Or maybe the ventilation ducts in the ceiling."
Neji turned Shikamaru's head back to face him. "Shikamaru, we have until dawn. It's not even dark yet. I need this. I need you." Neji's hands were trembling against Shikamaru's cheeks. "I don't have even half of my usual strength. I can't use my chakra at all. Sometimes when they hired me out, they completely sedated me and I couldn't do anything but lie there while they did as they pleased." The delicate man gave a shudder of remembered horror. "Please, now that we're together, please remind me that it's not all bad. Remind me that it feels good." A single tear spilled down one of his cheeks, and that, more than the imploring words, broke Shikamaru's resolve.
He gathered Neji into his arms, kissing the tear away and pressing kisses all over his face. "Neji... Neji, it'll be alright," he murmured between kisses. "We're getting out of here, going back home, to Konoha." He kissed Neji's lips softly and Neji responded, weakly at first, but with growing hunger.
They stumbled to the bed, Neji tugging at Shikamaru's clothing, needing to feel the other man's skin against his own. Shikamaru took off his clothes, pressing his body against Neji's. It felt good to have his lover back in his arms again. He didn't want to trigger any bad memories, though, so he let Neji make the moves. It wasn't long before he was writhing beneath the Hyuuga as his cock was engulfed in that talented mouth.
"Gods, Neji, I'm going to come... ah! But I don't know if you want..." He let the sentence trail off as Neji looked up at him with determination and passion written all over his face before lowering his head and sucking with renewed enthusiasm. Shikamaru gripped the bedcovers, crying out his lover's name as he reached his climax.
Neji crawled up over his lover's body and kissed him deeply, his tongue giving Shikamaru a taste of himself. "Wait here," said Neji, climbing off the bed and heading into the bathroom, returning moments later with a glass bottle. He settled himself between Shikamaru's legs.
"Lube?" queried Shikamaru.
Neji nodded, pouring a little onto his hand. "Yes, but it's a little bit different." He dipped his finger into the liquid in his palm and traced a line down Shikamaru's chest. Shikamaru regarded him curiously for a moment, then surprise registered on his face.
"It tingles! It's kind of warm, and... tingly!" He was at a loss for adjectives. Neji smiled and applied some to Shikamaru's entrance, watching the faces his lover made. He slipped two fingers slowly into Shikamaru, keeping their eyes locked together. With Shikamaru, he could almost forget that he was still at the hated slave markets, almost forget how he had been violated for more than a week. They were going to escape, just as soon as they finished what they were doing. Feeling that Shikamaru was ready, he slipped out his fingers and replaced them with his cock in one smooth move. They both cried out loudly in joyful relief.
"You feel so good," whispered Neji. "So tight." He slowly pulled his hips back, then pushed back in.
Shikamaru wrapped his arms around Neji's neck, pulling him down into a deep kiss. "I missed you," he said softly, before locking his lips to Neji's.
Neji kept up a slow and gentle rhythm, savouring every second of each thrust into his lover and pulling out only to push back in and enjoy it all again. Finally, despite the slow pace, he felt that tightening in his lower body that warned him that the end was imminent. He moved one arm, supporting himself with the other, and took Shikamaru's hand, interweaving their fingers. His pace quickened slightly and he gritted his teeth as his breath came harder. At the moment of climax, he again locked eyes with Shikamaru, and managed to gasp out three words he'd never managed to say consecutively together. "I love you."
Then Neji fell unconscious onto Shikamaru's chest. Shikamaru caught him. "Neji?" he called softly, concerned. He shook his lover gently by the shoulders. "Neji, wake up!"
At that moment, the door burst open, and two people stormed into the room. The saleswoman hovered by the door. "That's the one," said one of the men, well-groomed and wearing business attire. "He's the one that came in at the same time as number eleven. They paid for her with fake coins. If she was being rescued, makes sense that he would be too."
The other man lifted a dart gun. "No matter, this one can take her place." He pulled the trigger, and Shikamaru was unable to get completely out of the way, due to being pinned under the unconscious Neji. The dart sank into his arm and darkness overcame him.
*** END ***