This is the Darkness Over Me

Nara's never get furious; they never show that much emotion. That is what Sakura was told, until an ambush on a mission proves her wrong.

Fandom: Naruto

Rating: T

Square Filled: Cradled In Your Arms

Tags: badthingshappenbingo, cradled in your arms, feral Shikamaru Nara, furious Shikamaru Nara, hurt Naruto Uzumaki, outside POV, shadows are terrifying and under used in this universe

Created for badthingshappenbingo

It all happened so fast; Sakura couldn't even tell who landed the blow that knocked Naruto to the ground, blood pouring from the wound that stretched across his temple. All that she could focus on was the way the whole area grew three shades darker as if night had abruptly fallen on them. How everyone and everything went motionless and silent. Sakura wasn't even sure if she was breathing as her arm froze highway up her body to punch the mercenary who had been aiming for her.

Sakura green eyes darted side to side seeing that the others were just as frozen and confused as her. All expect Naruto who was still and silent on the forest ground, not a sight that she ever wanted to see again. Naruto was always moving and full of life but now he just looked like another body.

Shikamaru who had been across the forest clearing before was now kneeling at the side of the blond. His hair had slipped from his usual spiky ponytail and the loose strands were falling over his face as trembling arms curled around Naruto.

"You will regret hurting him," Shikamaru's voice was flat and emotionless in a way that made Sakura shudder and stumbled when she realized she could move again. She lurched forward to protect Shikamaru and heal her teammate but was stopped by Kakashi flinging his arm over her chest, stopping her in her tracks.

"Don't interfere, tell me. Have you ever seen Shikamaru mad?" Kakashi asked in a low voice as their attackers were forced to walk towards Shikamaru, obviously fighting against the hold on their shadows.

"I saw him at the end of his fight with Hidan," Sakura said quietly as she stared at the way Shikamaru was cradling Naruto close to his chest, holding and looking at him like he was the most precious thing in the world. She realized with a jolt that Shikamaru wasn't moving and his hands were curled around Naruto and not making any sort of hand sign, yet the shadows were moving their attackers closer. They were obeying Shikamaru who was showing no signs of doing so.

"You've never seen a Nara furious then. Their control of shadows is legendary and while they tell people it is meant for delay tactics, the truth is it is best suited for assassinations. I had a Nara on an ANBU team, I only saw them get furious once and it wasn't something I would ever forget. Darkness covers the Nara clan and it picks favorites." Kakashi explained quietly as the two watched as black bands of shadows circle their attacker's bodies until they peeled off of them, wiggling around them completely of their own free will.

Shikamaru didn't say a word; he didn't even look away from Naruto's bloodied face as the shadows seem to sharpen and Sakura gasped unable to stop herself when they struck. All their attackers collapsed to the ground with matching bloodied holes in their throats and limbs. It was violent, brutal and efficient in a way that made Sakura both recoil and feel impressed.

The shadows danced about the dead bodies before they swirled around where Shikamaru was kneeling, forehead pressed to Naruto's hair and eyes closed as he took deep breathes.

Sakura watched, barely breathing as the shadows snaked up Shikamaru's limbs and sank into the Nara's body. Shikamaru tossed his head back and his eyes flew open, dark as the night sky for a brief moment before they closed and the Nara collapsed to the side in a faint.

Movement and light returned to the clearing and Kakashi was at the duo's sides before Sakura even had a moment to blink.

"Both of them are just unconscious, Naruto needs his head wound to be healed and Shikamaru needs rest," Kakashi reported as Sakura rushed over once she managed to get her legs working again. She held her glowing hands up to the wound on Naurto's head but her eyes were trained on Shikamaru's unconscious form.

"What was all of that Kakashi-sensei?' Sakura whispered, suddenly wary of the shadows the sun cast from above them.

"A Nara's fury, and the darkness selection. It isn't something that happens often and they always come hand in hand. Shikamaru will be more darkness than light from now on and will seek out his sun. He will seek out Naruto to keep the shadows that claimed him at bay, to keep them directed. You can never speak or what happened here today Sakura, do you understand? If this information got into the wrong hands..." Kakashi trailed off as he closed his visible eye after studying Shikamaru and Naruto for a moment with knowledge obvious in his eye.

"I understand sensei if Shikamaru can do all of this without even focusing on it..." Sakura left the rest unsaid, both ninjas knowing what destruction would follow Shikamaru's footsteps of he was robbed of his sun or directed down a different path.

"Exactly, for now, we will help them both if they falter and we will do our best to make sure Shikamaru doesn't need to release the full force of the Shadows that claimed him." Kakashi got a firm nod from Sakura and knew he could count on her to help make sure that darkness would never spill from Shikamaru again. Until then Kakashi would watch over the unconscious Nara just like Asuma would have wanted him to.