Chapter 2
The explosion that rocked up above the Sarutobi guardian had him jerking towards the roof where a plume of smoke had replaced his student. Shikamaru may have been a Jonin in his own right, but he was still Asuma’s student and the sensei felt the fear clamor up his throat as the shadow that had snared the triple-bladed scythe, wielding akatsuki receded.
A blur of black and green darted from the debris and Asuma felt himself breathe a sigh of relief as his student only looked a little banged up, and yet, the second Akatsuki was right on his tail. Sarutobi knew Shikamaru wasn’t much of a taijutsu user and he quickly moved, Izumo and Kotetsu also flanking Shikamaru to stop the teal-eyed akatsuki from advancing. Shikamaru was their support and their greatest asset in trapping one of them and the older man knew it. The battlefield went silent as the opposing forces strategized.
“Well, well, for once you struck gold, Hidan.”
“Kakuzu, stay out of this. Like they could pull it off. If they could kill me, I’d let them.”
Kakazu huh? And Hidan. Shikamaru’s mind whirled at the new information and watched as the one called Kakuzu backed off.
As the silver-haired Akatsuki spoke, blood pooled at his feet as he drew something in the dirt. From Shikamaru’s vantage point, it looks like a triangle surrounded by a circle. “But that’s not happening, is it?” The man laughed.
“Now that we know their strength, we should fall back and come up with a better plan,” Izumo whispered as the men on the battlefield waited for someone to make a move. Shikamaru glanced from the one who had attacked him to the one that was supposed to be dead as the two Akatsuki began to converse as if they weren’t even there. Shikamaru only processed the important parts of their conversation while Asuma continued to strategize.
“Look, they’re both stronger than I am. Do you really think they’ll let us go?” Shikamaru’s eyes narrowed at his sensei’s words before shifting to a frown.
On the contrary, Asuma would be at a greater disadvantage having to fight them while worrying about us. In order to capture a major piece, you need to draw him out by baiting a trap.
His frown deepened before he spoke. “Climbing Silver is not a role that suits you,” Shikamaru huffed in annoyance, an annoyance that went deeper when Asuma realized he had caught on. I suppose I can help distract them.
“We have a way of punishing those that don’t understand the pain of others,” Hidan interrupted and the Nara knew the time to strategize was over. As Asuma moved, Shikamaru knelt, and Hidan mirrored. The fight was on.
Both Asuma and Hidan rushed each other, the echoing sound of metal on metal clashing in the air. Come on, Shikamaru urged himself as the shadows struck out, tendrils of darkness nipping at the Akatsuki’s heels to catch him. The silver-haired Akatsuki dodged, the momentary concern on his face towards the shadows encouraging.
It’s working. My shadow stitching is throwing him off enough to give Asuma a chance.
Shikamaru couldn’t think about that now, instead watching as he helped give his sensei enough of a breather for him. Asuma was back between them and Hidan when the scythe-wielding akatsuki through his weapon towards them.
“Shit,” His sensei cursed, before winding his arms in a stance Shikamaru had never seen. A golden statue appeared, slamming the scythe away before ramming into Hidan’s chest. “Chiriku’s Jutsu.” Asuma grinned before throwing his shuriken again, the shadow stitching pushing Hidan to continue dodging once more before Shikamaru had to take a breath. He was using a lot of chakra trying to keep the Akatsuki off balance.
“Nice,” Izumo muttered and He, Kotetsu, and Asuma surrounded Hidan and threw more shuriken as the Nara took a breather but the grin on Hidan’s face made his blood run cold.
“Then I just won’t dodge,” he gloated, racing towards the two Chunin and Shikamaru, scythe trailing behind him.
“Shit,” Asuma cursed again, racing after the maniac running towards his squad. He dodged a kunai on the way, only for the Akatsuki to flip backwards, and with it, the scythe changed its trajectory. The tip of the blade slammed into Sarutobi’s cheek, but luckily went no further as he brought his own chakra blades up to block. The shadows inched closer and Hidan leapt again as Asuma pushed the scythe away and converged.
“Katon, Haisekishou!” He yelled, blowing a cloud of smoke around the Akatsuki. The shadows drew back and Shikamaru panted as Asuma gnashed his teeth together, an explosion wrapping the Akatsuki Psycho in a cloud of fire. The shadow user inhaled sharply, waiting for the smoke to clear.
The sound of metal hit the ground, too light to be the scythe and that feeling of trepidation washed over Shikamaru again. When the smoke cleared, he could see the burns up Asuma’s right side and his own chocolate eyes widened in surprise. How…
No…
Immediately Shikamaru focused on the diagram on the ground before he noted the change.
“I have already cursed you.”
Curse. Curse.
The diagram.
He watched helplessly as Hidan stabbed his own leg, watching as Asuma went down with a similar wound.
What the fuck…
It had to be that circle. He had to get him out of that circle.
He pushed the rest of his chakra into his shadow and stretched it across the ground as Hidan raised his staff. As the psychotic man aimed for his heart, Shikamaru didn’t believe he would make it in time. His eyes widened as panic started to set in.
Come on, get there…
“NOW DIE!”
“I DON'T THINK SO!” Just as the tip of his staff touched his chest, Hidan froze. He could feel all eyes on him as he stood, his hands trembling with the effort even as his shoulders heave in uneven breaths. He just needs a minute to think it out. It must have been the blood when he cut Asuma, that was how he cursed him, and yet, he stayed in the diagram.
“You figure it out, Shikamaru?” Izumo murmured too softly for anyone else to hear.
“Yea, it’s the blood. Even a small cut or abrasion and that’s how he curses you. We need to get him out of that circle and get rid of it,” he tells the other two and he can feel Kakuzu’s eyes on him but he can’t lose focus now. It’s difficult to control someone as powerful as Hidan and he can feel his strength waning within the first step. The man is pulling against him, but it’s no use against his clan’s jutsu. Eventually, he pulls Hidan out of the circle and Asuma has already read him even without hearing his whispered insight. The shuriken slices neatly through Hidan’s ears and when Asuma’s body didn’t mirror the wound, Shikamaru knew they had him. The shadows change, tendrils of darkness rising up before slamming into the Akatsuki, piercing veins, organs and limbs to hold him in place.
“You idiot! Do something! Help me out here!” Hidan bellows to Kakuzu but it's futile.
“Get rid of the circle,” Shikamaru barks to the two chunin who quickly rush to obey, even as Asuma finds the last of his strength to leap towards Hidan and slice through his neck as Shikamaru holds him.. Even as the two chunin erase the circle by kicking up dirt, there is a sense of relief as the scythe-wielding psycho slumps to the ground in two pieces and Shikamaru draws his shadows back as Izumo and Kotetsu help Asuma to his feet. The Nara slumps to his knees in exhaustion, having used more of his chakra than ever before.
Hidan begins screaming for Kakuzu to take his body back to his head, kicking up more of a fuss when Kakuzu goes to his head first. It doesn’t matter, the moment has offered the Leaf Ninja a reprieve and even with as exhausted as he is, Shikamaru doesn’t let it slow his mind down as he looks towards the teal-eyed Akatsuki.
How strong is he? Have we been lulled into a sense of overconfidence? Is he stronger than Hidan? We can’t take him with Asuma injured… We need to get out of here.
Just as he begins planning, Kakuzu leaps towards Asuma, Kotetsu and Izumo. A powerful kick sends the three of them flying back into the wall of the building, rocks falling down over them and burying them. Shikamaru isn’t worried, he knows they can get out, but in the time they work, he’s left alone and unable to stop Kakuzu from kneeling next to Hidan. A small, gray thread-like tendril poured out of Kakuzu’s arm and began sewing the decapitated Akatsuki back together.
Shit, Shikamaru thinks in a terrible parody of his master, as Hidan begins drawing the diagram again. It’s an ending loop and Shikamaru can only see one outcome of this unless something happens. The two akatsuki have already written him off and he doesn’t blame them. He’s out of Chakra, he can’t do maneuvers, the biggest threat are the three currently crawling out of the rubble. Asuma’s out, and the Nara knows his sensei needs medical attention, knows Izumo and Kotetsu can get him there if he just figures out a way.
In order to capture a major piece, you need to draw him out by baiting a trap.
He huffs in amusement, even as he looks up from his knees, “I can fulfill that role,” he murmurs to himself before speaking louder. “I know who the Nine Tails’ soulmate is. Let them go, let them get Asuma-sensei medical attention and I’ll tell you,” he pants and once again the battlefield freezes. He can feel Izumo and Kotetsu’s eyes on him even as he staggers to his feet.
“Why should we believe you, brat?” Kakzu growls, ready to put this battle behind him.
“Because,” Shikamaru starts and pulls a kunai with an explosive tag tied to it before holding it near his heart. With two fingers he removes the band on his wrist. “If you don’t, then I’ll kill myself and you won’t have bait.”