Break to Breathe

 

BREAK TO BREATHE

by Okami Rayne

Chapter Eight

"Protective eight trigrams, sixty-four palms!"

Hinata slammed her protective shield outwards to counter a swarm of flaming projectiles. The chakra-blades of her unique jutsu shot from her hands like lasers, swinging to-and-fro to deflect the spinning stars and sending them on a sharp rebound back towards the enemies.

The flat of Fukurō's blade sent them bouncing straight back. "Bitch!"

Rather than duck, Hinata faced the attack, fending off the flak with chakra needles, firing them out in rapid processions that forced Fukurō to retreat for a moment.

Shikamaru's voice burst from somewhere above her.

"Hinata, get back!"

The Hyūga heiress spun around, her long raven-blue hair swinging. Kunai flew overhead, bomb-tags flapping from the hilts. The knives struck the ground ahead, forcing two of the four Tsubasa to leap away from the apparent explosives. But the detonating never came.

"It's a diversion!" One of the men roared, and as predicted, leapt forward after Hinata.

The idiot sprang straight into the path of a rigged shuriken that came whirring from the right, thin wires slicing through the air in a hiss and scatter, lacing him up to a tree like a fly caught in a cobweb.

"The first move is always a feint," Shikamaru mock-admonished from above, moving away as Hinata wasted no time in jumping forward to swiftly close off the enemies chakra points with the Gentle Fist.

"Neji! Now!" Shikamaru shouted.

The Hyūga burst from the cover of the canopies and hit the ground running, zigzagging a path across the clearing. The fire-wielding Tsubasa twisted around, like a heat-seeker following its meandering target. The enemy smirked and formed a hand sign.

"Fire Style! Fire ignition jutsu!"

A mass of flaming shuriken erupted in a heat-wave, searing across the clearing towards Neji. The Hyūga jumped and twisted, a small terracotta orb clutched in his palm – he smashed it just as a hail of flaming weapons slammed into him.

"Gotcha!" the enemy laughed, a shrill manic-pitched giggle, that cut off when the Hyūga's body hit the ground in a puff of smoke, revealing a ruined log before the oil-covered wood detonated.

"A substitution!"

The force of the explosion blew a small crater in the ground, slamming up dirt and splashing oil-fed fire in all directions. Fukurō snarled and slammed his sword into the earth, hiding behind the massive blade as fire licked and chased along the steel.

The enemy ninja still pinned to the tree went up in flames, screaming gory curses as he died. The fire-wielder looked stunned, but he strode confidently through the flames, snarling derisively.

"Idiots! You can't come at me with fire! It's my element after—!" he paused mid-step, frozen in the flames. "W-what?"

"Shadow possession, success." Shikamaru smirked from the cover of the trees, the flames in the clearing having granted a currently unlimited source of shadows to work with. "Nice work, Neji. Kiba! Now!"

"Fang over fang!"

A ferocious rumble shook the glade as the piercing whirl of Kiba's jutsu carved through the earth, creating an escape tunnel in its wake. The vicious drill slammed into the fire-wielder, cleaving him clean in two whilst simultaneously whipping away some of the fire. Neji came running through the tunnel created by Kiba's attack, protected from the flames by the makeshift passageway.

"Hinata-sama!"

The younger Hyūga responded immediately, darting out from the cover she'd taken, leaping around flaming foliage to meet her cousin at the mouth of the tunnel. She jerked to a halt, her Byakugan eyes dropping to Neji's chest.

"But…w…why?" She cupped a palm to her mouth, her eerie eyes tracing over his torso, seeing beneath the robes and skin. "Neji-niisan …what have you done to yourself?"

Neji bristled at her words, knowing she could see what no one else could. The sudden transparency of what he'd worked so hard to conceal pushed a confused bitterness into his expression that he couldn't disguise. But then Fukurō's snarl redirected his focus.

Move!

"Come!" Neji gripped Hinata's wrist, tugging her hand away from her mouth before turning on his heel to run back down the makeshift escape route, pulling her with him.

"Neji-niisan! Wait!" Hinata called from behind him.

"Keep running!" he growled, his own eyes squinting against the darkness and heat pressing in either side of the tunnel. "Byakugan!"

The moment he activated the dōjutsu he cursed, then twisted, gripping Hinata around the waist as he spun and dropped to one knee. He tucked her against his chest as he slammed them both to the ground, shielding her smaller frame when Fukurō's blade sliced above them, slashing through the crust of earth forming the tunnel. The severed top of the passageway collapsed onto Neji's back in a belch of dust and ash.

The blow flattened out the ground, exposing them to the flames.

Neji felt fire lick along his skin, eating into the sleeve of his robe. He grated his arm against the dirt to put out the flames and jutted his shoulder-blades to dislodge the crust of earth and rock from his back.

"Hinata…"

"Neji!" Hinata squeaked from beneath him. "Are you…?"

He pushed onto his hands and knees with a gasp, holding himself up on locked elbows as he stared down into her wide lavender eyes.

"Get up…get up and run…find Gai…find Kurenai…"

Her lips tightened defiantly. "Not without you!"

"GO!" Neji pressed off his palm, allowing her enough room to scramble to her feet before he smacked his hand into the small of her back to shove her away. "Run!"

Hinata stumbled at his shove, only to wheel back. "I won't run away!"

He knew those words.

Damn Naruto and his suicidal Nindo!

"Please! Go!" Neji barked, cutting off as he sensed the whistle of a hit he knew he couldn't avoid.

Hinata moved faster.

She threw her weight forward, hands gripped around a kunai that she scraped along the diagonal slash of Fukurō's blade, throwing it off kilter in a shower of sparks. The hit lodged into the ground a scant inch from Neji's face. If he turned his head, his breath could mist the steel of the blade.

"Hn. How sweet." Fukurō sneered, backhanding Hinata with a reverse swing.

Neji's eyes flashed.

The Tsubasa's strike exposed his chest, allowing for Neji to roll onto his back, draw his knees to his chest and slam his feet into the bastard's ribs. Fukurō was pitched away, but never lost his grip on his blade. Neji rocked onto his feet, glaring at Hinata; frustration and concern tearing across his eyes.

"Damn you, just go!"

"I won't!" She snapped back, with surprising aggression.

"Don't be a hero!" Neji hissed, gripping his chest. "You owe it to our clan to live!"

"Our clan owe it to your father, not to make you a Hyūga sacrifice too!" Hinata cried back, scrambling over to him.

Neji choked on his reply. He felt a different kind of pain stirring in his core, like the subtle stirrings of a dormant hurricane, scraping up broken feelings inside of him that threatened to erupt into something he wouldn't allow himself to face.

No…no…

He clenched his teeth, shoving down the confusing, dangerous feelings. Now was not the time. As if to illustrate his thoughts, Fukurō charged like a rabid animal, the tip of his blade slashing viciously.

"It ends here!" he screamed, spit flying from his lips.

Neji turned, slamming his arm out to push Hinata behind him, but she lunged to his defence, chakra needles flying from her hand. They skittered off the careening blade, one piercing Fukurō's neck and striking a nerve that caused his arm to violently spasm.

Fukurō lost his grip on the sword and the blade went spinning like a deadly boomerang with the momentum of his jolted arm. The hilt caught Neji in the hip with a sharp crack, knocking the lethal edge in a veer – straight into Hinata.

"NO!"

Blood sluiced across the ground in a sickening splatter.

The blade barely made a sound when it hit the earth.

Then it was quiet.

---

It's way too quiet…not good…dammit…

"Kiba!" Shikamaru shouted, hoping his voice would carry, considering he couldn't currently move. "Answer me, dammit! Where are you?"

Shikamaru jerked his head at the sound of a distant roar, his focus wavering as if someone had struck him.

What the hell…?

The choked gurgle of the fourth Tsubasa caused him to turn his gaze back to the man struggling against his jutsu. Shikamaru's eyes narrowed and a final pulse of his chakra closed the shadow hand around the man's throat. The enemy's eyes bulged, pleading for mercy Shikamaru wouldn't give. The shadow-strangle jutsu crushed the man's windpipe. Shikamaru dropped the corpse and turned, reaching for his transmitter.

"Kiba, where the hell are you!"

Nothing.

Dammit!

Shikamaru scanned the forest while praying to Gods he never normally thought about. Kiba's jutsu had obliterated the fire-wielder, but it had rebounded off the chakra pulse from Fukurō's blasted sword, sending both dog and owner flying in opposite directions.

It had been a calculated risk they'd had to take. Kiba said he'd be prepared.

Just be alive, dammit.

Opting for vantage of height, Shikamaru scaled the trees and followed the trail of the tunnel Neji and Hinata had taken, anxiety clawing at his nerves.

Be alive. Be alive. Be alive.

A shrill noise burst in his ear.

"Shikamaru!"Kurenai's voice filtered through the screeching mic.

"Kurenai-sensei! You mobile?" His fingers flew to his transmitter.

"I'm with Kiba and Akamaru."

Shikamaru's breath fled his lips in relief. "Are they okay?"

"Yes, they're alive. Their wounds aren't serious but Gai has medic-nin meeting us half-way from the village. Where are Hinata and Neji?"

"I'm on it."

Shikamaru swung down a level, gaining speed now that he knew Kiba was alright. The shadow-nin ran along the lower boughs as he tracked the tunnel to its rupture point.

Shit!

He paused, scanned the area, then dropped down, looping a kunai into the crook of his finger as he inched forward, his eyes still tracking the perimeter. The crackle of dying flames filled the otherwise quiet forest, fanning black smoke skyward. Shikamaru used it for cover, slipping quietly between the wafting plumes, cinders spitting beneath his feet as he weaved through.

What a mess…

He raised his arm, burying his nose and mouth into the crook of his arm to keep from coughing. He had to narrow his eyes against the sting of the smoke, searching for some movement through the fog.

His foot scuffed metal.

Shikamaru glanced down through his lashes, his pinched eyes widening at the sight of Fukurō's mammoth blade; the edge sticky with blood.

"No…"

He didn't realise he'd said it out loud.

"Shika…maru…"

He snapped his head up at the sound of his name; then realised that it had crackled through his transmitter. He swallowed the tension in his throat before responding.

"Where are you?" Shikamaru spoke quietly, waving his free arm to dispel some of the smoke as he emerged from the heated smog.

He almost jerked in shock when fingers brushed his leg, his attention having been directed up. He dropped his eyes down and his heart slammed into his throat.

"Hinata…"

---

Fukurō half-collapsed against a tree, dragging his weight up with a growl. One half of his body felt paralysed and no amount of chakra seemed able to fix whatever that bitch had done to his system. It simply wouldn't respond. Not only that, but he'd had to forfeit his blade as well.

"Bastards…" The Tsubasa leader smacked his fist into the tree with a snarl before making to shuffle forward.

He never got the chance.

A kunai lodged into the crook of his knee, causing his leg to buckle. He went down hard, howling a curse and rolling to try and dislodge the weapon. He froze with his hand on the hilt, his lip pulled back in a sneer before a weak chuckle shook his body.

"Well would you look at that…"

Neji didn't offer a response.

The Jōnin strode forward with a fluidity that defied the agony flaring in his hip; his white-clad frame streaked with blood and ash, long hair swaying with his smooth strides.

He looked like some fallen angel cast out from hell.

Without pause, he kicked aside Fukurō's hand, wrenched the kunai free and plunged it in a violent stab straight into the Tsubasa leader's gut, hacking across in a vicious belly-cut.

No delay, no smart words.

Just execution.

A parody of an honourable death.

The Tsubasa's eyes swelled, his mouth gaping in a silent scream. Neji kept his gaze locked on Fukurō. His eyes were what the bastard had wanted – and they would be the last things the Tsubasa would ever see.

---

The trees fled past in a rustle, leaves whispering around the running Chūnin as Shikamaru leapt from bough to bough.

"I'm sorry…"

He blinked, almost missing the softly whispered words against his chest. He dropped his gaze down to the cargo cradled securely in his arms.

"Hmn?"

"I'm sorry…" Hinata murmured again, her half-lidded gaze straying from the tourniquet bound around her thigh, to Shikamaru's face.

"What the hell are you apologising for?" Shikamaru shook his head.

"I broke team…"

Shikamaru's eyes widened before he smiled dryly, his voice rolling out on a droll note. "A Hyūga is givin' me an apology, huh? It's been a crazy day…"

Understatement.

It had been a fucking terrible day.

Shikamaru's stomach had done more flips than a damned wind-up toy and he was pretty sure that Neji harboured some premeditated plan to give him a heart-attack.

He'd better be alive…

While Hinata's bleeding had been staunched, the blade had almost severed an artery. By some God's grace or blinding stroke of luck, she had been radiating enough chakra from her hands to wobble the trajectory in the split second it had taken the weapon to spin.

She said Neji had secured her leg and then taken off after Fukurō. Shikamaru wasn't surprised, but he'd hoped the Jōnin might have valued a little self-preservation. Hinata had come to her cousin's defence, supporting his actions. The fact was, while Fukurō breathed, they were still at risk.

"Just hold tight, we're almost there," Shikamaru announced, carefully hefting her in his grip. "Gai-sensei will take you the rest if the way, okay? He's faster than I am."

"Neji…" Hinata craned her neck, glancing back the way they'd come. "He's…"

"I'll find him." Shikamaru managed a weak smile. "If he doesn't find me first, the sneaky bastard."

"Shikamaru-kun?" He watched her eyes shutter, her small voice carrying even softer.

Shikamaru hummed, glancing down. Hinata didn't answer immediately, taking her time to pinch the blood from her bottom lip as she worried it between her teeth. She struggled with her next words.

"You need to keep Neji away from my father…"

Shikamaru's footing almost wavered, but he pushed off the next bough without pause. His sense told him that her words rated high in his category of 'not my problem' but at the same time, he found that his mouth did a 'Naruto' and bypassed his brain.

"Why's that?" he tried to pitch the question without sounding suspicious; not that he didn't have cause to be.

"Because…it'll make things worse…"

Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head. "You know, I'm not exactly in the Hyūga loop of family secrets…if you want me to help you out here, you're gonna have to make this a little clearer for me."

He felt the drape of Hinata's arm tighten around his shoulders. "I think I finally understand…why Neji has been staying away from home…"

Shikamaru didn't prompt her, letting her speak in her own time, while attempting to let the pause translate how much he really didn't want to be involved in all this. Before he could glance down at her, she spoke again.

"If he comes home…and if…if he trains with my father…then he'll see what I saw...anyone with the Byakugan can see it…"

Shikamaru waited for an elaboration that didn't come.

Man, what a pain…am I supposed to be psychic or something?

"Don't hold out on me here," Shikamaru drawled, causing her to duck her head apologetically. "Are you talking about those bruises on his chest?"

Hinata's eyes snapped wide and she stared up at him. "You know?"

Shit…I thought she knew that I knew…

Wasn't that the reason she'd been looking at him so expectantly before? Shikamaru shook his head, frowning.

Ugh…this is ridiculous…

"Know what exactly?" Shikamaru countered. "I just know that two months ago he had some marks there."

Not a complete lie. But if Hinata wasn't laying all the cards on the table, he had no intention of showing his hand either. He knew his expression wasn't giving that much away, but he wouldn't underestimate how perceptive she was.

"I don't know why…but…" Hinata shook her head. "He's blocked vital tenketsu…the pathways…linked to his lungs...and his heart…"

He did WHAT?

Shikamaru felt his own heart do something curiously uncomfortable. He'd known two months ago that Neji had done something rash in that stupid, drunken moment. But hadn't it ended there?

Shit…he actually 'blocked' the pathways?

Shikamaru was no medic-nin, but it didn't take much to do the math. He'd seen the damage the Gentle Fist could do when altering tenketsu; the pathways were vital for functioning.

He forced himself to take a breath and planted his feet, swaying to a stop as he stared down at Hinata. She wouldn't look at him, her eyes cast down and her brow furrowed in concern.

"I wish I knew why…" She whispered, shaking her head, distress causing her words to come in halting breaths. "It just…doesn't make sense at all…to do something like that…I…"

"Hey, take it easy…" Shikamaru said softly, commanding a lazy ease he really didn't feel in that moment, but knew he had to fake. "I'll think of something, okay? It'll be alright."

For one brain-freezing moment, he thought she was going to cry. But she didn't and he felt a little guilty at how relieved he was. However, she finally lifted her eyes and settled that same deeply concerned, trustingly expectant look on him.

Crap…women and their puppy eyes…

He smiled faintly despite his reluctance, walking carefully along the bough to set her down against the trunk of the tree. He crouched at eye-level, meeting her gaze.

"Listen, it's best if we don't tell anyone about this, okay?" Shikamaru snorted, rubbing at his eyes with a mutter. "Less people involved, the less likely I'll end up hospitalised with your cousin's hands around my throat."

Hinata blinked, then realised that it was supposed to be a joke. She tried to smile and looped her hair behind her ear, humming uncertainly as her gaze slid away. "Okay."

"Hey…" Shikamaru waited until she glanced up. "It'll be alright, okay?"

She smiled, effectively sealing the deal. There was no way out of it now. He'd just jumped into the deep end of problems that weren't his and there was nothing to do but tread the damn waters.

Crap…

"Alright then." Shikamaru smiled crookedly, reaching for his transmitter just as Gai came into sight, bouncing toward them like a demented green frog on crack, all vital and ready to roll.

I just wanna sleep…for a week…

"Shikamaru-kun?" Hinata gripped his wrist before he could rise.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you…" Accompanying those words was that damning, trusting, way-too-troublesome smile.

Despite his mental grumbling, the weight of her expectation felt lightened by something Shikamaru couldn't identify. It felt like some strange sense of acceptance in his gut. As if he'd have ended up doing this anyway, even if she hadn't asked.

I'm on my way to signing off on my sanity…

Hinata smiled again and Shikamaru rolled his eyes with a long-suffering, self-depreciating sigh.

"Troublesome."

---

Their paths crossed before sunset.

Shikamaru had expected some kind of effort-riddled chase that would involve a lot of swearing and thinking on his part and a lot of silence and avoidance on Neji's.

It didn't happen.

To his relief and surprise, the Hyūga didn't run or fight and Shikamaru found he had no need to push or wise-crack his way through anything. Like a shit load of defences. That wasn't to say that Neji was approachable. The moment Shikamaru crossed the short distance towards him, the Hyūga squared his shoulders and that too-calm mask settled across his face.

So stubborn.

But Neji's eyes gave him away and when he spoke, Shikamaru noticed that the Jōnin's voice carried the same hairline fractures as his opalescent orbs.

"Hinata?"

"She's safe. Gai's taking her back to the village, a medic-team will meet them halfway." Shikamaru tilted his head before adding, "She's going to be fine. The others too."

A barely perceivable ripple chased across Neji's face – relief, probably. Shikamaru couldn't really tell. He offered a grim quirk of his lips, but his dark eyes were tracking over Neji carefully. He was a mess. There was a lot of blood. He hoped not all of it was the Hyūga's.

"Fukurō?"

"Dead."

Shikamaru hummed, his eyes briefly casting over Neji's shoulder, looking for a ghost that didn't come. Overriding everything else in that moment was the acute sense of relief. They'd all survived. They'd pulled through, hedging some of their bets on luck and the rest on a quick, two-minute strategy.

For now, the enemy had been suppressed. Whatever repercussions may or may not result from the remainder of the Tsubasa clan was a fight left for another day. Shikamaru sure as hell wanted no part in that. He turned his attention back to Neji, frowning at the blossom of red spreading from the Jōnin's right hip.

"Can you walk?"

"Yes." Neji nodded, reluctantly adding, "…slowly."

Shikamaru smiled a little, knowing what it probably did to the Hyūga's pride to admit that. He shrugged as he lazily rolled on his heel and fell into step beside Neji.

"Works for me, Hyūga, I like to take things slowly."

"Mn." Neji hobbled beside him, still struggling to muster some amount of grace.

Shikamaru almost reached out to touch Neji's back and steer him, much as he had when the Hyūga had been drunk. Instead he folded his hands behind his head and pretended to stretch as they walked.

"You know, I didn't think I was petty enough to ever say this, but on this occasion I'm going to…" Shikamaru glanced sidelong at Neji. "I told you so."

Neji stared at the ground for a moment, frowning in confusion before he returned the glance through his lashes. "Oh?"

Shikamaru smiled; a wry, subtle curve of his lips before he looked away, declaring quietly, "You're alive, aren't you?"

---

The sky was scarred a deep, bruised purple by the time they made it back to the village, the last traces of sunset sinking away into folds of dusk. Shikamaru had predicted that a medic-nin would be waiting to greet them as they passed through the gates.

He hadn't expected Sakura – or Naruto, for that matter.

Crap.

The Uzumaki bounded ahead of the pink-haired kunoichi, breaking Shikamaru and Neji's advance with a look of indignation and concern; a combination only Naruto could pull off while simultaneously letting everyone beyond earshot know about it.

"What the hell happened, Shikamaru? What took you guys so long!"

Shikamaru waved the energetic ninja off. "Man, such a kid."

Naruto scowled, turning his attention onto Neji. "What happened? Man, you look like an avalanche hit you!"

Shikamaru didn't have time to tell the loudmouth to shut up before Sakura's fist smacked into the back of Naruto's head. "Quit it!"

"Thanks." Shikamaru smirked at her, ignoring Naruto's wounded glare.

Satisfied, Sakura stepped over to Neji, her expression turning grave as her green eyes scanned over his blood-stained robes. "Let me see."

"It's just my hip, the rest I can deal with." Neji shifted his weight onto his uninjured side as Sakura cupped her hands over the fractured area, channelling restorative chakra to heal the damage.

"You should really get yourself checked up, Neji," she suggested softly.

"It's alright." The Hyūga shook his head.

"Hey! What the hell happened with Hinata?" Naruto piped up, still rubbing the raw spot on the back of his head.

"Shut up," Shikamaru snapped.

"I won't shut up!" Naruto growled, his good-intentions once again making themselves known at the most inappropriate time.

Shikamaru didn't have the patience for it, especially when Naruto turned toward Neji. He didn't even know how, but his body moved in an instant, standing between Naruto and the Hyūga like a cold, ominous shadow.

"Back off." Shikamaru dropped the words in a tone he didn't know he possessed; low and threatening, made all the more disturbing by the fact that he didn't sound angry, just deadly serious.

For a moment no one spoke.

Naruto simply stared, his expressive eyes swimming with a look of hurt and shocked confusion that robbed him of an angry retort. Shikamaru stared back, containing his own surprise at his actions a lot better.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Sakura dropped her hands from Neji's hip and straightened up from her crouch. She made a quick move to diffuse the tension by punching Naruto on the arm lightly.

"Unless you want to end up the hospital, just give it a rest, okay?"

Naruto didn't take his eyes of Shikamaru, his brow furrowing a little. "Yeah…" he murmured huskily, sounding a little shaken. "Sure."

Shikamaru blinked, immediately slipping back into his lazy, familiar skin of nonchalance as if he'd never shed it. He cupped a hand over his mouth and yawned, rolling his shoulders against the tension.

"Well I've had enough excitement for one damned day. Later." He waved over his shoulder to Sakura and Naruto, idly strolling away. "Neji, got a minute?"

The Hyūga dipped his head to Sakura, thanking her before accepting the offered chance for escape. He caught up with Shikamaru when the shadow-nin slowed his steps.

"What is it, Nara?"

"You're not going home are you?" Shikamaru continued to stroll, appearing totally disinterested. He could sense Neji tense up beside him. "Relax, Neji…"

This word only served to have the Hyūga tensing up further before he released a slow breath, shocking Shikamaru with his lack of irritation.

"No," Neji murmured. "I'm not."

"Figures." Shikamaru shot him a sidelong glance. "I'm guessing you're not gonna go get yourself checked up by a medic either, right?"

"I'm fine."

Shikamaru already knew the hospital wasn't an option. Hiashi Hyūga would be there with Hinata, or if not him, another from the clan. It was too risky; especially if Hinata's warning was anything to go by.

"Need a place to crash?" he blurted out, managing to make it seem casual.

Neji hesitated, his lips thinning as he frowned. "Why would you—?"

"Take it or leave it." Shikamaru rolled his shoulders lazily. "Offer stands. Just don't expect me to play host."

Neji didn't say anything, but he didn't walk away either. In fact, he kept pace with Shikamaru, not falling back or moving forward – just coasting silently beside the Chūnin. Shikamaru supposed it was Neji's way of keeping his dignity.

It's not like the Hyūga had much choice of anywhere else to stay.

Anyone else would insist he get medical attention, which Shikamaru supposed he would somehow have to provide without insulting the Hyūga's troublesome pride. The option of Neji checking into an inn simply wasn't an option. It would only raise eyebrows in the village. The Hyūga were much like the Uchiha had been, keeping to their residences – and when the Hyūga valued their prestige and privacy, there was no need to downgrade.

"I do not want to impose…" Neji managed after a tense silence, sounding rigid and uncomfortable.

Shikamaru chuckled, unable to stop himself. "Man, you're somethin' else. Relax, it's not a problem."

Which was a lie.

It was a big fucking problem as far as Shikamaru was privately concerned. The shadow-nin intrinsically knew this, but apparently some stupid, complicated, bothersome part of him instinctively knew something else.

The same foolish part of him that had chased Neji down two months ago and had silenced the opal-eyed ninja's fury with a crash of tongue and teeth…the same stupid part that had invited Neji into a slice of his world that he liked to keep uncomplicated…the very same insane and distracting part of his brain that couldn't shake the image of the normally stoic-faced Jōnin laughing and meandering in tipsy lines…

Add to all that the most damning, dangerous part. The part which had watched over Neji's troubled sleep and had harassed Shikamaru with a clawing concern he couldn't understand…the same kind that had just caused him to come between Neji and Naruto with an uncharacteristic but automatic aggression that deeply disconcerted him…

Oh yes.

It was a big fucking problem…

And for all his genius, he had no clue how the hell to solve it…or if he even wanted to.

---