Fading Scars

This is an Alternate Universe fic set perhaps a day or two after Orochimaru’s retreat from Konoha. A lot of liberties were taken from that point on in terms of time-line. This is also a very angsty (especially Naruto) and sexually graphic fic—just the way we like it!

This was written as a one-on-one RP, so the point of view of the story will change, usually with every paragraph. Scenes will also change abruptly and large periods of time will pass with little notice, though I’ll try to give some warning at the beginning of the chapter.

// = thoughts
* = emphasis

Please read and enjoy!

Fading Scars
Chapter Nine:

Neji looked at him, then sighed. //Damnit.// He nodded and lowered himself back into the grass.

Naruto crouched near the water's edge, filling and emptying out his canteen as he watched the sunlight flickering off the water. He was regretting what he'd said--he shouldn't have revealed himself to everyone like that.

Shikamaru approached slowly. He wasn't sure what he was going to say, or even what Naruto had really been talking about, but...someone had to. With a quiet sigh he came forward and crouched at Naruto's side. "Hey."

He glanced up briefly. "Hey." Filling the canteen up one last time, Naruto finally sat back. "Sorry for running off like that." His shoulders hunched, waiting for whatever Shikamaru would say.

"It's okay," Shikamaru assured, watching him. He hesitated a moment. //Dumbest question ever, but....// "You okay?"

Nodding, Naruto tried to straighten, to regain his old self. "Yeah, I guess." He scratched the back of his head, facing Shikamaru with a sheepish, weak smile. "Kinda got outta hand there, didn't I."

"It's all right. I think...he needed to hear it." //Let's just hope he comes back.// Shikamaru hesitated again, until he realized that being nervous about it was even more of a pain than asking. "It's what you said to Gaara, isn't it," he hazarded. "What you mentioned right now."

"Aah, you remember that, huh?" Naruto dropped back onto his rear, bracing himself on his hands. //Gaara, Neji...and Sasuke. All of us are....// His fingers curled. "Yeah. It was."

//Yeah, thought so.// Shikamaru scratched the back of his neck. "You gonna tell me about it?" he asked easily.

Naruto considered that a moment, watching the dust float above the river. //I should tell him. Everyone's been hiding it for so long, so maybe…if I tell them….// He tipped his head back. "You know about the Nine Tails, right?" he asked softly, almost a whisper. "Seems when the Hokage beat it, he sealed it into me. Right here." He patted his stomach, and his skin seemed to heat faintly.

"Nine Tails...?" For a moment Shikamaru could only stare. Of all the things Naruto could have mentioned.... He swallowed hard, remembering the stories. "So...that's what it was. At the exam."

He nodded. "I found out about it just before, learned how to use its chakra for myself." His eyes narrowed. "Seems really weird, doesn't it? Hearing all the stories about it, all the things it did to the village and people...and it ends up in someone like me. The Fourth probably should have chosen someone else, huh? Someone stronger, right?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Well, I dunno," he admitted. "If you've kept it in and maybe...learned how to use it, that's really something." //Better him than someone like Sasuke, that's for sure.// "Better than someone like me, that's for sure."

"Yeah...." Naruto hunched his shoulders, taking a deep breath. "Doesn't it...bother you?" he asked. "I mean, it's the Nine Tails. It's still alive, right? In me?" His fingers shook faintly as they curled. "Aren't you scared?"

"Scared? Well, hell, maybe." Shikamaru sat down at last, stretching his legs. "People are usually scared of stuff like that. But I guess if you've got it wrapped up I won't worry too much."

Naruto sat forward, watching Shikamaru intensely now. //But does he hate me? Will he hate me now, like all the others?// He ducked his head anxiously, mouth opening and closing but unable to speak.

Shikamaru glanced at him, for some reason feeling...vaguely guilty at the expression Naruto had on. He smirked crookedly. "I'm not scared of *you*, Naruto, if that's what you're trying to ask."

//He doesn't....// All the tension drained from him suddenly. //He doesn't hate me.// Naruto hopped forward, without a thought wrapping his arms around Shikamaru's neck in a grateful embrace. "Thanks. Thanks...."

"Hey…." But Shikamaru quickly relented, relaxing back on his hands. "Don't worry about us too much," he assured, and though his tone was bored on the inside he felt greatly relieved. //I hope I said the right thing.// "I'm sure...Kiba and Hinata understand."

Naruto hugged him a little tighter, just...relieved. Relieved until it almost hurt. "Everyone else...the village...." He shivered faintly. "They hate...."

//Yeah…I guess they would.// Shikamaru lowered his eyes guiltily. //I just thought he was a slacker. We all looked down on him not knowing anything....// He didn't move, despite feeling a little awkward not wanting to push Naruto back. "I'm sorry, Naruto," he said honestly. "It…it must have sucked."

He nodded. "Yeah." Taking a deep breath, Naruto slowly pulled back, kneeling beside the boy. //No one's…been sorry before.// He chuckled and rubbed at his nose. "It's okay. I got used to it, really. I...don't really blame anyone for it." His lips curled. "I'm just glad someone knows now."

Shikamaru smiled despite himself. "Well, you certainly picked quite a group to tell," he half teased. //If anyone could understand…. Well, it might be too early to expect much from either of those guys.// "I'm kinda glad you did."

"Yeah. Me too." Naruto grinned brightly. //Thanks, Shikamaru. For understanding.// "Now we just gotta get the boneheads to come around, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. What a pain." Shikamaru dropped abruptly onto his back, stretching out. "And here I could use a rest myself. Being a chuunin isn't all that great after all."

Chuckling, Naruto shifted around to sit beside him. "We could always trade," he suggested teasingly. "But then, I'm not that good at staying out of trouble, so it's probably better that it's you. Just means I'll have to do even better at the next exam."

"You made so far this time, 'can't see why you wouldn't get there again," Shikamaru said easily. "Just maybe cool your head a little, eh?" He folded his arms behind his head.

"Naw, that's not for me." Naruto stretched, pausing to take a drink of water. "I just need to learn to think faster to keep up with my fist." He punched the air for emphasis. "Better yet, I'll just skip being a chuunin and go right to jounin. Yeah, that would probably work better."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "As if they'd ever do that," he retorted. "That's a lot of space in there."

He giggled. "Then maybe I'll just skip all of it. I'll just go right to being the best, and then everyone will acknowledge me." //Because...being Hokage....// His eyes narrowed faintly. //I bet Sasuke would laugh at me.//

Shikamaru cocked an eye at him. "Man, being Hokage sounds like even more work than being a chuunin," he muttered. He frowned. "Especially considering...." //The Third is gone, now. Isn't that how all the Hokage go…?//

"But no one would doubt you then, right?" he pointed out. "If you were Hokage, everyone would believe in your strength. It wouldn't matter what you used to be, because now you're the best, the smartest...." //And that's what I want. I don't want people to doubt me anymore.//

"Yeah...." Shikamaru smiled thinly. "Yeah, you're right." He lifted his gaze to a few lazy clouds overhead. "But y'know, I think...what you pulled off at the exam changed a lot of people's opinions of you. Getting them to believe in you...might not be as hard as making Hokage."

Naruto looked down on the other, his expression softening. //No one's ever talked to me like this before--really talked to me, and listened.// "You're not such a bummer guy after all," he said lightly. //Maybe...this is what really makes a chuunin.//

"Hu~h?" Shikamaru shot him a doubtful look. "What'd'ya mean?"

"I thought all you did was complain all the time," he explained. Naruto dropped back into the grass beside Shikamaru, resting his hands on his stomach. "Everything was 'troublesome' or just a 'bother.' But you can be pretty nice, too."

"Just because being mean is too much trouble to go through," Shikamaru replied. "I don't have the energy for that." He yawned broadly. "But if you're feeling better, I guess tha's cool, too."

"Yup!" Naruto beamed up at the trees, though a moment later he sobered a bit again. //We still have to deal with Sasuke and Neji. I wonder...what they'll decide.// He turned his head to better see Shikamaru. "Hey. You gonna stay here for a while?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I dunno. I came here after you. You gonna stay?" He tried to glance at him, but it was hard from this angle to see much.

//After me....// "I'm all right," he assured. "I was just thinking, I don't want Hinata to worry too much. And we should probably see if Sasuke came back, right?"

//I doubt he has, but....// "Sure." Shikamaru sat up, stretching, and then pushed slowly to his feet. "I guess we ought to stay together." He offered Naruto his hand.

Naruto took it, hopping to his feet. For a moment his fingers tightened. //I think...I might even have a friend now.// Feeling almost too encouraged, he pounced on the other, draping an arm across his shoulders as they started back. "Thanks for cheering me up, Shikamaru. I owe ya!"

"Ah, whatever...." But he didn't try to shake Naruto's arm off as they headed back to the camp together. //I guess he's not so bad.//

When they returned, Naruto greeted their companions easily, assuring them that he was just fine and would explain things later. He dropped down between Hinata and Shikamaru, sharing some traveling bread they still had left from Ino's careful packing.

As more time passed without a sign of Sasuke, Neji finally grew too worried to remain still. His body still ached with every strain of muscle, but he was able to set it aside enough to get himself upright.

Shikamaru glanced at him from across their dwindling fire. //Not that I really thought he'd stay put.// He sighed. //I guess…I might as well talk to him now.// "Hey, Neji. Think you can listen up for a second?"

Neji paused, setting a hand against a nearby tree to keep his fragile balance. "I want to find Sasuke," he replied, tone low.

"I know. But I figure this'll be more useful to you than to him, so...." Shikamaru reached into his travel pack, tugging free a small map. "Maybe if I can convince you, it'll make convincing him easier. Maybe I'm boring you but I'll be quick."

Though he was still worried, Neji turned enough to see him. "Quickly," he echoed. //Sasuke...I hope you're all right.//

"I figure we're around here," Shikamaru explained briskly, pointing out their location on the map. "It won't take much longer to reach Sand. But there's a small river coming up, and if you follow that north, instead, it'll take you toward Water."

Hinata shifted anxiously, having already caught on. "Shikamaru-kun...? But Hokage-sama said...."

Shikamaru shook his head, keeping his attention on Neji. "If you go to Orochimaru you'll both die," he said seriously, his smile grim. "But you're not going back to Konoha, either, right? Well, then you might as well just run away and be done with it."

Neji's eyes widened. //They would do that....// His fingers curled as he looked around at the others--Kiba looked vaguely surprised, but not too concerned, and Naruto...he couldn't read. Hinata just looked worried, and Neji could guess that this was something Shikamaru hadn't brought up to his team. "You'd let us go?" he asked softly. "Just like that?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "The alternative being to drag you both, kicking and screaming, back to Konoha?" //Where you'd probably be killed anyway?// He folded up his map deliberately and stuffed it back in his knapsack. "Like I said, you've got until morning to decide. I already marked a safe route on this map--if you decide to go north I'll give it to you. And if you run off before then…." He frowned. "Well, I'll have Naruto kick your asses for me."

The blond boy punched his hand for emphasis, though there was a faint smile dancing around his eyes. Neji took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll keep that in mind," he replied softly, turning away again. "I'll go find him now."

Shikamaru waved him on. "Take your time."

As he started to move away Hinata leaned forward so she could her captain around Naruto. "Is this…." She gulped. "Are you sure, Shikamaru-kun? Hokage-sama will be...."

Shikamaru shrugged again. "Yeah, it's probably a dumb ass idea...."

"It'll make everyone happy," Naruto protested. "They don't want Orochimaru to get them, and if they go hide then there's no way he'll be able to. And he won't come to Konoha because Sasuke's not there anymore." He smiled, setting a reassuring hand on Hinata's shoulder. "And Neji will be safe then, right? Even if you'll miss him, at least you know he'll be okay."

Hinata blinked, startled to hear Naruto speak her concerns so easily. She lowered her head with a blush. "Yes...."

Shikamaru stretched out on his side. "Man, I'm still gonna get in trouble," he muttered. "My first mission as a chuunin...think they'll demote me?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Kiba finally spoke up, resting with his chin in his hand, Akamaru perched easily on his head. "We've got days to get back. I'm sure we'll think of a good enough story by then."

Naruto laughed. "That's right!" He slapped Shikamaru on the shoulder. "We can say we chased them all the way, but they were too quick for us. Don'cha think? Either way, we'll make sure they don't demote you!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "If we tell them they made it to Sand there'll really be a panic," he muttered. "That'd be a huge pain." He sighed. "Maybe I'll just tell the truth and save me the trouble. Get you guys a real chuunin."

"Not at all," Hinata assured meekly. "I think...you've been really good...."

"Of course he has," Naruto affirmed. "You know, we all make a really good team, right?" He grinned, suddenly hopeful. "If we're all gonna try again at the next exam, it makes sense to stick together, right?"

Kiba grinned faintly. "Well, we couldn't just abandon Shino, and I'm sure he'll try again, so...."

"Oh. Yeah." Naruto slumped a bit, disappointed.

Shikamaru shrugged. "You could always join that Lee kid's group," he suggested. "They'll have room with Neji gone. If you think you can put up with that jounin of theirs."

"With Guy-sensei?" //But he and Lee-san are already so close...and....// "Well, maybe. I don't know what he'd be able to do for me, but...." He shrugged. //I'd rather stay with Shikamaru, if that were the case....//

Shikamaru scratched his nose. "I guess you wouldn't want to fall in with Chouji and Ino, then, either," he guessed. "Too bad chuunin can't lead rookies." He frowned slightly. //Why? Would I take him? Whatever.// "Oh well. We can figure it out when we get back, see who's really going to continue to the next exam."

Nodding, Naruto flopped onto his back. "I'm taking a nap," he decided aloud. "Wake me up if Sasuke comes back, so I can beat him up."

"Yeah, okay." Shikamaru poked idly at their dwindling fire with a stick. //I guess everything's going to be different now. As a chuunin I won't be with Chouji and Ino anymore....// He snorted. //Whatever.//

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