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HealingEye Why? Because I still haven't decided who I like Shikamaru with and I have a deep love for Itachi. That's why. Probably OOC, but it's hard to write Itachi since we haven't seen much of him. Also, the filler episodes kind of ruin my take on how Shikamaru reacts to the Sasuke mission, so pretend they don't happen. ^_^ Hope you enjoy the crack!pairing.


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Healing Eyes

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Shikamaru had been fine with being promoted to chunin -- it was mostly the same old routine only he'd be the official leader. He was lazy but also smart enough that he could get a team to follow his directions. It was unexpected, but Shikamaru thought being a chunin wouldn't be that bad.


Then he was given his first mission and failed it miserably. Not only had the team of five -- two more than a regular team - lost Sasuke to Orochimaru's clutches, but everyone on the team had been critically injured. Everyone except Shikamaru himself that is. It seemed wrong that the leader came out unscathed and Shikamaru wished he could have taken every blow for his teammates. To make matters worse Lee and the ninjas from Sand had to come in for the rescue but they still couldn't get Sasuke back. Nine ninja that Shikamaru was in charge of had failed to bring one geinin back. It had been almost 2-1 against the enemy.


Shikamaru had failed Konoha and had to face the scorn of all his betters, including the parents and teachers of those he had nearly killed. After everything was done and he had gotten over most of the shock Shikamaru became a different person. He would not fail again.


For almost a year Shikamaru was spared the position of leader but eventually Tsunade deemed him worthy again and he was sent out with a team to find a missing girl. She was the daughter of some farmer and not a terribly important case, but it was the first time since Sasuke that Shikamaru was leader. The chunin did everything possible to keep his team safe through the mission, especially when they found the kidnappers. When they got back to Konoha not only did they have the girl but his team had nary a scratch on them. Shikamaru himself was a bit worse for the wear, but he had succeeded and that was what mattered.


After a few missions proceeding this way people did start to notice that Shikamaru tended to be heavily injured while his team stayed healthy, but he got the job done fast and well so he wasn't pulled from missions. Chouji, Asuma, Ino, and even Neji tried talking to him, and though Shikamaru listened he wouldn't let any of it affect his behavior. If he was appointed leader Shikamaru would do everything possible to make sure of complete and safe mission success, no matter the cost to himself.


Tsunade heard the worries over Shikamaru and though he couldn't be spared she could give him easier missions that needed few or no teammates -- at least until he finally realized no ninja or human could be perfect. The current mission was simple: get a scroll from a neighboring village and come back. The village was voluntarily giving them the scroll so there was no need to fight for it. The village leader had asked for at least a team of three since the document was an important and sacred object to them. Tsunade agreed and assigned Shikamaru and two younger geinin to the task. There and back again with no enemy presence seemed easy enough.


What the team found out on their way back to Konoha was that Akatsuki, for some reason, was also after the scroll. They found out in the form of Uchiha Itachi dropping to the ground in front of the trio. The geinin were confused but ready for action. They didn't know who this imposing figure was, but Shikamaru's mind was in panic mode. Uchiha Itachi. Fuck.


"Don't look at his eyes. Take the package back to Konoha -- NOW!" Itachi was amused at the instructions but when he moved to easily intercept the young pair running off, his feet refused to move. More bemused than angry he slowly turned his attention to the boy in front of him whose shadow had melded with Itachi's own. Without expending any chakra Itachi attempted to lift his hand. Shikamaru held firm, keeping his eyes squarely on the area where the shadows met Itachi's sandals. Shikamaru could feel a web of chakra slowly infusing into his shadow bind. He chased it out as best as he could and held strong. It was only around two more hours to Konoha. If Shikamaru could hold Itachi for even half that time then his team had a chance.


But this was Uchiha Itachi, Shikamaru would be lucky if he could stall the man for five minutes. With that in mind, the next time Itachi's chakra began to infect the shadows, Shikamaru undid his jutsu and fell to the ground. Snorting at how easily he had beaten the Konoha ninja, Itachi once again set off to follow his target. After a step he was frozen again. He was quickly becoming annoyed.


From his new vantage point on the ground Shikamaru could see where Itachi kept his kunai. The chunin pulled his own kunai out, and though it strained his chakra to breaking point he made Itachi do the same. Without wasting time or energy Shikamaru jammed the weapon into his thigh, making sure to cut into the femoral artery. If he did it right, not only would Itachi have to worry about bleeding to death but he wouldn't be able to walk on the torn muscles. If he did it right his team would have enough time to find help in Konoha. It is true that Shikamaru had basically committed suicide, but this was Itachi -- there could be no holding back.


When he felt a smooth palm grab his chin and tilt it up to blood red eyes Shikamaru knew things hadn't gone according to plan. There wasn't even time to mourn his failure before he was pinned to a cross in the darkness of his own mind, the tall, dark missing nin standing in front of him. At least he had succeeded in distracting Itachi for however long this torture would last.


"You are wrong there. Though we might spend what seems like days here, hardly a second will go by in the real world. I will take my time here with you and have plenty left to retrieve the scroll."


Damn.


All at once Shikamaru was back in his past. His somewhat recent past. He was leaving Chouji behind to fight Jiroubou of the Sound Five. Leaving Chouji behind to die. Neji was next, sacrificing himself and putting his faith in the team. Kiba, Naruto, Lee -- they were all prepared to die.


Then back in Konoha.


"No! Chouji! My son! Please let him be all right!"


"Dammit Neji, you will pull through this. You are Hyuuga."


"Shit little brother, you sure did a number on yourself. You better not leave Akamaru alone."


"Will Lee be okay? Did he go out too soon? I refuse to lose the passion of his life!"


"Naruto! He's completely mummified. What in the world happened out there?"


"Where's Sasuke?"


The worry, the panic, and then the blame. Over and over Shikamaru was forced to relive the glares and hate cast at him from all over Konoha. It built up and the stress branched through his body, crawling through his muscles. All Shikamaru wanted to do was curl up into a ball and hide. He didn't mean to screw up so badly! His binding on the cross wouldn't let him move. Please, please -- I'm sorry! He could feel muscles ripping and popping from the strain. The cross held. It was his first mission! He hadn't even meant to become a chunin. No excuses, just failure. No no no! I'll never fail again, I promise! That doesn't help now. Doesn't heal out child. Fire ripped through his veins.


And in an instant the pain stopped. Shikamaru was once more just hanging, all limbs healthy and intact. Itachi stood close, watching his face with a hint of curiosity.


"So your pain involves my little brother. Hm, I suppose the fault is my own then." Still trembling from the torture dealt out only a second ago Shikamaru couldn't even wince when Itachi gently lifted his chin and inspected him like an ancient treasure.


"Konoha is bleeding your soul dry. The way you carry on it won't be long before you break." Itachi made an unhappy noise at this and ran calloused fingertips down Shikamaru's tear-littered cheek. There was a long moment of silence. Shikamaru breathed deeply, trying to prepare himself even remotely for the next attack.


It never came. Instead Shikamaru found himself shrieking in pleasure. It felt as if a hand had reached inside him and stroked the very nerves connecting to his brain. Sparks erupted behind his eyelids and Shikamaru sagged forward, drained and blissful beyond imagining. Shikamaru could hardly remember his own name much less any worry about his missions.


His eyes fluttered open upon hearing a small chuckle. The noise wasn't biting or sarcastic like expected, but almost warm instead.


"That is my mangekyou's little secret. It can cause horrible pain, but it can also reach inside to bring out extremely heightened pleasure."


If he had to die, at least Itachi had given him a hell of a way to go. Nothing in Shikamaru's limited life span had ever felt like that.


"Ah but that was only the beginning young Shikamaru. You intrigue me. I have felt pain like yours, grand expectations, and since this started due to my younger brother running off to that snake, you deserve some recompense."


The pleasure was back but not as sharp. Now there was a slow burn that was infusing itself throughout his body until it was as if the sun itself had leaked under Shikamaru's skin. He opened his eyes wide and clouds filled his vision. Happier days just idling on the hillside, perhaps Chouji by his side. Life was so beautiful Shikamaru could hardly contain the joy. All the walls and shadows in his mind were blown to pieces until the only thing left was light. Shikamaru was one with the clouds, the sky, the world.


Slowly reality was coming back into focus, but somehow Shikamaru felt that things were going to be all right.


"It is true that those of Konoha expect a lot from you, but you need to assert your limits. There is still time for you and many people who care," Itachi whispered. Kindly, gently, the Akatsuki member ran fingers over every facet of Shikamaru's body. Pressure points were pressed and muscles melted into a sweet glow. This touching and relief lasted for hours. Sometime during the calming actions Itachi had taken Shikamaru off the cross and cradled the young man in his arms. Clothes were in the way and disappeared off both male bodies. Shikamaru leaned into the warm lover's embrace and actually fell asleep listening to the rhythmic heartbeat of his alleged enemy.


He woke up to Itachi's mouth on his skin licking a warm path down his body. At this point Shikamaru didn't care that Itachi was a wanted nin -- Shikamaru owed him much for these hours of pleasure and relaxation. He wasn't experienced at all in the sexual realm, but he hoped his own small touches were pleasing to Itachi. The older man smiled and made no move to stop Shikamaru's tentative touches. They learned each other's bodies spending days just kissing and touching with no worries from the outside world. Sometimes there was sex involved but it wasn't always needed in their slow exploration. They recovered from peaks with lips and warmth, Shikamaru finding the perfect fit against Itachi while the older man learned the warmest spots to rest his arms.


This pattern of feeling and rest went on for an eternity in the timeless realm. Eventually though, after a rather rigorous go, Itachi broke the peace.


"I'm afraid this is the limit of how much chakra I am willing to expend," and even though it was spoken in a deep soothing voice, rumbling vibrations traveling directly to his chest, Shikamaru froze. The real world and all his stress came rushing back, begging to be let in once more. A blast of pleasure halted the rush and Itachi kindly admonished him.


"Don't throw out this experience as easily as that." Itachi held the chunin tighter to himself, smothering the hasty apology in his shoulder. "I'm going to break us out of the mangekyou's spell and procure the scroll," he paused at the broken gaze aimed at him and sighed. "I will not harm your team, I will only get the scroll. Rest assured they will be safe."


Shikamaru placed a gentle kiss against Itachi's neck. "Thank you, Uchiha-san."


"Please, no formalities Shikamaru. Besides, you are not the only one to benefit from this. It is a fair exchange."


The couple shared a brief kiss, soft and sweet thanks to the knowledge they would now be parting.


"Do not let Konoha break you, but also do not hesitate to come to me if things turn bleak."


"How can I find you?"


"I'll be around."


And glorious blackness swallowed Shikamaru, him smiling all the way.


~The minutes run like sand~


A gentle squeeze on his shoulder woke Shikamaru from his slumber. He was overwhelmed by the surrounding faces. It took a moment to gain focus and recognize the crowd.


"Thank goodness! Shikamaru. . ." He recognized Chouji's worried tone and attempted to smile at the shape leaning over him. He heard relieved sighs and strained laughter. How many people were standing around him?


"His leg will be fine after a few weeks of rest." Sakura, a truly dedicated medic-nin.


"What's the big idea worrying us like that!" Ha, that was definitely Ino.


"Aah." Cigarette smoke wafted by marking Asuma-sensei.


"Dammit! I'll kill that bastard!" Kiba? Why was he here?


"Calm yourself, he's all right." Even Neji was here?


His leg felt warm and that warmth was slowly making its way through his blood. So Sakura had used her chakra to heal him. He used the new strength inside him to fully open his eyes and speak.


"My. . . team?" His voice cracked but at least it came out. A short figure stepped out from behind the crowd.


"We're okay Nara-san. Mihoko's back in Konoha giving the report." The geinin -- Chiaki if he recalled correctly -- tensed before throwing himself at Shikamaru's side, kneeling in complete surrender and shame. "I'm so sorry Nara-san! We didn't know that was Uchiha Itachi! We should have stayed and fought against him with you." The poor young kid was practically crying by now. "And we couldn't even complete the mission -- he took back the scroll. I'm so sorry!"


Instead of taking the failure as a horrible affair and taking all the blame, Shikamaru reached up and squeezed Chiaki's shoulder. His teammate stared in shock, and so did the others. Shikamaru was still smiling.


"Hey, you followed my orders and did your best. That's all any ninja can do. You and Mihoko did well."


"You did pretty good yourself," Asuma said, lifting Shikamaru onto his back and beginning the trek back to Konoha. "I'm glad you're all right," he added quietly so only Shikamaru could hear.


It was nice to listen to the voices of the people who cared about him. They didn't pity or blame him as he feared since that horrible mission.


"I'm sure when your parents get back they'll have some choice words for the Hokage."


"Hell, I have some choice words for her--"


"I can't believe she didn't send a med-nin with you. It's standard practice now. Even if they were just in training -- it's irresponsible."


"When the mission looks too easy, it most likely is. I am surprised no one realized that if we wanted this scroll then others might as well."


Why had Shikamaru thought so little of the people close to him? Here they were rushing out to find him, more than likely against the Hokage's orders judging by how many had come, and defending him. It felt as warm as the healing chakra.


"It's fine, no one could have guessed. Besides, it was troublesome to have such an easy mission," he said smiling, the lighter edge of his personality finally seeing light after the darkness. He felt Asuma chuckle and could see grins on his companions' faces -- even a small smirk from the Hyuuga. Kiba made a huffing noise and crossed his arms behind his head.


"Well I was all pissed off at Itachi, but now I'm kinda glad he showed up. Knocked some sense into you or something." Ino soundly smacked him for the comment but Shikamaru just laughed. It was true after all.


"Yeah, he's really not so bad at all." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow when Sakura paused beside him and seemed to be struggling with some idea. The pink haired med-nin-in-training pulled out a bloody bandage from her supply pack and gave it to him.


"I found this wrapped around your wound tied tight enough to stop the bleeding. I can't imagine you had the strength to do that after a fight with Itachi." She said it quietly, leaving the statement open-ended.


"No, I didn't do it," he responded. It was enough to confound Sakura, Chouji, and Asuma -- the others still arguing with Kiba. After everything the Uchiha prodigy had done to Konoha and its residents, could he possibly still care somewhere deep inside?


"So how important was that scroll anyway? What's going to happen now that it was stolen?"


"Nothing's going to happen to you, so don't worry about it," Chouji answered fiercely, more serious that Shikamaru had ever remembered seeing him. The others, even the geinin who hardly knew him, added their silent agreement.


Then Shikamaru's stomach growled. "How troublesome! Perhaps we can stop for some Korean barbecue when we get back to Konoha, hm?" And conversation sparked off again; what to order and who should pay. Shikamaru let them argue, glad to see his friends acting normal and happy.


He fingered the bandage in his hand. Thanks to that man his life was slowly coming back together. The break of passion and peace had successfully destroyed the ever-mounting burden on his shoulders. Shikamaru had a feeling now that it was over he would never let things build up so far again, wouldn't need to be relieved with such force. But still. . .


"Someday, Itachi," he whispered so that not even Asuma could hear.


They would meet again.