Back again ladies and gentlemen, and for your patience I have another chapter. I hope three months wasn't too long. I tried to get this one at a reasonable time, so I hope I didn't disappoint, and I especially hope you enjoy it. As always thanks for your reviews!

Chapter 12

Thunder

"And come ye back when all the flowers are dying
when I am dead and dead I well may be
You'll come and find the place where I am lying
and kneel and say and ave there for me

And I shall hear though soft you tread above me
and on my grave will warmer sweeter be
and you will bend and tell me that you love me
and I shall sleep until you come to me."

–Frederic Weatherly, Danny Boy

Sasuke Uchiha

Their encounter with the soldiers from the Land of Earth had shaken Sakura to her core. It was obvious to see. She didn't speak much. She avoided eye contact. She would look at her hands, something similar to disgust in her eyes. But in a way, he owed Sakura his life. She had saved him from death and had given him an opening to finish off their attackers with their lives intact.

The image of her running like a feral animal toward his would-be killer and stabbing the dagger into his back over and over ran through his head. He knew she had mustered all her courage to burst through that door, but the pride he felt for her was diminished by the ever-growing shame and anger. Sakura was not a fighter. She hadn't been trained her whole life to use a bow, a sword, the proper techniques of footwork, the applications of a shield, and yet she had saved him. The blow to his pride was tremendous. He wanted to slap himself in the face. He had completely forgotten about the soldier who had moved upstairs. Sasuke had tunnel-visioned, and mistakes like could could him his life. It almost did.

He had been lucky she had been there, but he should have never put her in that situation.

The scenario played in his heads countless times as he and her sat inside the dilapidated building. He absently touched the fresh bandage on his left shoulder. Sakura still had made sure to check and clean the wound when she needed to. Never speaking as she did it. He was starting to worry for her.

He closed his eyes and gave himself a brief moment of rest. He breathed. Far off sounds of battle, swords against swords, cries of pain, they were only a little more than a hum that mingled with the soft patter of rain, and would often be drowned out completely as thunder boomed overhead. He felt the cold chill him a bit.

Sakura had her knees pulled close to her with her head down. Her dyed black hair fell over blocking all vision to her face. She was like that since they had arrived. The building they had relocated to was plundered. Its valuables had been ripped out, and the inside was a mess. Shattered ceramics littered the grown. The kitchen table and chairs were turned over. The stain couch cushions were tossed to the side. The lock had been busted open to the home. All the more reason Sasuke had chosen it. It was out of the way, it had already been pillaged, and it was very unlikely that soldiers would be back around here with those obvious observations. Whatever valuables the home once had were now in the hands of the enemy.

But, they would not stay for long. However brief a rest this home afforded them, it would be fleeting. Sasuke had made up his mind. They would flee the city.

Staying within it was too dangerous. If the city were to fall, then they would miss their opportunity to escape. A part of him knew he might be a coward. Every inch of his body screamed this, and his pride was being stomped into the ground by the decision, but the rational part of him knew that he couldn't risk the chance. They would escape in the cover of the night and rain.

The sun was almost setting and Sasuke had made sure to spend the previous day to perform proper reconnaissance. The patrol at the eastern gate changed at a regular interval, and a little bit after sundown. Wind soldiers who Sasuke could only describe as new or lazy showed up. Four of them. They would often sit on there ass, their helmets covering their eyes, the weapons at their side. Most important of all, they had no horses. Whether it was an oversight on their commander's part or simply a conscious choice, it was all he needed to formulate a plan. The only thing they needed was a horse of his own.

Earlier that day he moved to the stables and sure enough it was being guarded by three pairs of Earth soldiers. If he could get a horse, he and Sakura could make a break for the gates. They would be long gone before the guards at the gate knew they were even here. Sasuke knew it was risky. They had only one shot for it to work. The hardest part was getting the horse, but he had something for that as well, a distraction. The unlit torch in his hands served as the catalyst for the plan. As he relayed this to Sakura, all her responses were weak nods.

Eventually, it was time to move. The sun was down, and the rain was starting to pick up. Sasuke and Sakura pulled the cloaks up that they acquired earlier and slinked out of the building. They weaved from street to street, being careful to keep themselves hidden. Sasuke clutched the unlit torch in his hands, and the pair of flints felt heavy in his pocket. He had chosen the building that would burn. It was moderately large, and even the downpour of the rain wouldn't put it out immediately. Hopefully the Earth soldiers near the stables would move to investigate. That's all they would need. Just a few seconds without them there.

They were getting close to their destination, only a few blocks away. As he turned the corner, Sakura silently in tow, his stomach dropped, and his mouth formed a firm scowl. Shit.

"What do we have here?" A familiar voice asked only a few feet away. Prince Kankuro appeared to stare through the rain and look directly at him. It just had to be them. They stood in the center of an isolated street. Prince Kankuro along with six Wind soldiers, and to his left was Gaara.

"Sasuke Uchiha," came the raspy voice of the younger prince. "So this is where you were hiding." Gaara moved slowly to him, and immediately Sasuke drew his sword. "To think highborns of the Land of Fire's most powerful houses would scuttle through alleyways like rats." The soldiers flanked their prince as they drew their swords, and they started to spread into a circle around him. "We saw something slink through the streets. We thought it was a only a peasant or a spy. Looks like it was something better."

Sasuke said nothing. Six swords moved in around them, and he was half expecting Sakura to make a break for it, but she stood by his side and huddled so slightly next to him. They were trapped. He had failed once again. Flashes of death invaded him, he and Sakura's neck splayed open like a rose. He scowled. It was all he could do.

"And the person with you?" Kankuro asked, smugness dripping from every word. He slowly moved forward past Sasuke and to Sakura behind him. Her hood was pulled off, but Kankuro didn't say anything. "Some common wench?" There was a something close to relief that Sasuke felt. They didn't know. What came next threw all relief he had into the wind. His lips played into a sickening grin, and with a arrogant wave of his hand, "We'll give you to the soldiers to boost morale. Don't take it personally—"

"She's Sakura Haruno." Sasuke spoke out.

The soldiers around him grumbled in disbelief. "Doesn't she have pink hair?" One of them questioned, more to each other than him.

He rebutted, "It's dyed black." Sakura made no word to defend herself. The sound from the world drowned into nothing but rain. He waited. They needed to believe him. It was her only chance. None of them made a move to respond, and his stomach turned. On the outside, he tried to stay composed. The rain beat down on his hood, and he could feel the grip on his sword tighten. Moments passed though it felt like years.

"Fine," Gaara said. "But if you're wrong, I'll personally take off her head." He felt Sakura shrink back behind him.

Kankuro moved back to his men. "Tie them up! We can't have them getting away!" His gamble had paid off and he relaxed as much as he could given the situation. They weren't going to be killed. Still to be captured so easily...

"...No…" Sasuke squinted his eyes. That sadistic bastard was really going to kill them? His mind raced for a way to escape, but they were corned on all sides. The stables were close enough that a mad sprint and a bit of luck he could reach them, but somehow he'd have to break this circle of soldiers, and then deal with the soldiers at the stables. He scanned the soldiers in front of him. He could see four. Two were behind him. He would need to attack the weakest one. He and Sakura had to hope that they could make a break for it.

"No?" He faintly heard a dumbfounded Kankuro ask. "What do you mean no?!"

The scraping of metal instinctually ripped Sasuke's attention toward the sound. Gaara's blade had come out of its sheathe, its point to Kankuro whose eyes turned as round as saucers. "Who are you to speak to me in such a tone? Should I cut your throat open?"

Kankuro took a step back. "I... apologize for the outburst, Gaara…"

The sword whipped toward him now. "You owe me a battle, Sasuke Uchiha. I want to finish what we started." Would they really decide this on a death match? Sasuke couldn't believe it.

"And if I refuse?"

"You and her will be killed where you stand."

From the tone in his voice, he knew he was serious. Sasuke moved his sword in front of him. Lightning flashed, and he could see the sadistic smile of the prince. He pushed Sakura back.

"Fine." He started to circle him, and unlike before, Gaara followed him. Always keeping the sword facing toward him. "And what if your guards interfere. Do I trust your honor?" Sasuke's eyes were taking in every part of his periphery he could. He shouldn't do this. He needed to find an escape, but with eight people against only the two of them, there wasn't much he could do.

Gaara pounced at him with speed he wasn't ready for. Straight for the throat. He moved his head at the last moment, but he felt the sting of the sword graze the side of his neck.

"This is a fight to the death." His raspy voice started. "You have no time to think about escaping. You need to fight to survive."

Sasuke parried the next attack off to the side and backed up once more, gaining space. He saw Sakura off to the side with the soldiers surrounding her. The fear on her face was plain.

"You worry too much about her, Sasuke," Gaara spoke again. "If you die, we'll take her as prisoner. Don't worry, we won't kill her if she's who you claim her to be. Maybe." The prince threw himself at him again, his arms raised high ready to come down with a strike. Sasuke was ready this time. With as much speed and force as he could muster, he stabbed at his prince's stomach hoping to pierce through—but he spun to avoid it. "Predictable, Uchiha."

Dammit a feint?

He wasn't able to avoid the next attack from him. He was in a bad position. He had overextended. Damn!

The sword slashed down his right arm ripping through the clothing. Sasuke was able to move away some, but it was a bit more than a graze. He could feel the blood start to pool on his skin. Gaara was moving so fluidly in such contrast to how he was in the arena.

"You disappoint me, Sasuke Uchiha." The sword came again, this time somehow faster. It grazed the side of his face, cutting ever so slightly. Sasuke swung at him as the prince continued lunged past, but it was blocked as the sword whipped back to protect him.

Gaara was too fast, and he was too tired. He hadn't eaten in nearly two days, and they had spent most of the days moving around the city. At this rate… he wouldn't last.

The prince's attacks didn't let up. Mud and rainwater kicked up as they swung at each other. Sasuke pushed his body as much as possible to block and dodge each attack, but the fatigue of the days prior was starting to catch up with him, each step he took felt like it sapped the strength away from him. The cuts started to build on his body each one getting deeper and deeper, sweat started pooling on his face, his back, everywhere. He was too tired to run now. Gaara was definitely exerting himself, but to say he was in as such a worse state as him was a laughable comparison.

"This is pathetic to watch," he heard Prince Kankuro mutter to himself.

It was. Sasuke knew. He hadn't managed to hit Gaara once. He was constantly being kept on the defensive. This guy was something else.

The swing came from overhead, and instead of dodging, he clashed with it, and put every ounce of strength into it as he pushed forward. He was pushing Gaara down. He may be fast, but his strength was lacking. The prince was able to break away but not without cost. Sasuke's sword came down fast, he was able to cut the prince's leg. Deep hopefully. He knew what to do.

Sasuke lurched forward, and he saw the prince flinch as he braced himself, but Sasuke never took more than a step. He snorted, feeling the confidence flow back him.

"You think now that you got a hit you can mock me?" Irritation laced his voice like a poison. Gaara lunged at him, his sword point moving to his chest. At the last second, Sasuke moved his feet. He felt the sword brush past his ribs, and instead of dodging sideways or back, he lunged forward, the point of Gaara's sword behind him. There wasn't enough room to extend his blade, but that wasn't what he wanted anyway. Gaara fell into his arms, and using every ounce of strength, he clutched the prince's arm, and with his hip as leverage, he tossed him over his body and slammed him to the ground. He heard the wind get knocked out of his opponent as water and mud flew from them.

Sasuke climbed him, and dug his knees into his biceps keeping his arms locked. Their weapons had been knocked free and had since been thrown to the ground. He clasped the prince's neck with a firm grip and squeezed. He watched the helpless flailing of his arms. They tried desperately as they struggled to reach his face, his hands, anything. Through all his fatigue, all he continued to do was grit his teeth, and squeeze. The blood pumped to his head, and the thumping was so loud he swear his ears were going to burst. The sweat that drenched his back soaked through his tunic, and though he knew the rain was cold, all he could feel was heat. The prince's arms slowed, but he kept his hands firm. He had to die! They needed to live!

His head smashed to the side, and he felt a blinding pain resonate in his skull. Stars danced in his vision as he fell to the ground, mud in his mouth. He heard a shriek, and Sakura rushed over to him.

It was like he was up at Sakura's face from underwater as she lifted him to a sitting position. There was violent coughing and gasping, and he watched Gaara drive his sword through one of the soldiers.

"I told you not… interfere!" He was able to choke out. "Leave! Go away, before I cut you all down!" He held at his throat and struggled to catch his breath. His anger filled the air, and Sasuke was sure the rain around him would start to boil.

Sasuke's hand went to his head as he gripped it in pain. All the soldiers but Kankuro fled from the prince. The dead soldier on the ground was an indication to how ruthless he was.

"He kicked you pretty hard. Are you okay, Sasuke." He heard Sakura ask.

His vision was starting to return to normal, and he staggered to his feet. Leaning on the arm Sakura offered.

"We're not done yet. I said this was a death match!" Gaara grabbed Sakura by the hair and threw her off him. Sasuke fell to his knees, losing the only support he had.

"Stop!" She pleaded, "He's in no condition to fight."

Sasuke reached down for his sword. His head was pounding. It hurt. Most of vision was blocked by the mud on his face. He made a hasty attempt to wipe it away but only seemed to make it worse.

"Then he'll just have to die won't he?"

The attack came slower, but he knew if it hit it would find its mark.

His vision warped as he stood and raised his sword to block. It was a pitiful attempt, and his blade was knocked from his hand. Gaara abandoned his own sword and gave him a swift punch to the face, knocking him on his back. He felt hands on his neck, and his arms pinned.

"Let's see how you like it, hm?"

"Sasuke! Let me go!" Kankuro was holding Sakura back. He could see it in his fading periphery. He struggled fruitlessly. His world got smaller, quieter. Her pleas fading to nothing but a whisper.

Then a boot smashed across the prince's face, and he was thrown off him.

"Yeah! Let's see how you like it?!"

Even as he gasped for breath, and his vision fought to return, he knew that stupid voice from anywhere, but it wasn't he who said his name.

"Naruto… Uzumaki!" Gaara staggered to his feet, and Kankuro abandoned Sakura to rush to his aid. Sakura in turn, hurried over to him consoling him however she could.

Kankuro looked at the new opponent and drew his sword.

"I've been looking for a match with you!" Naruto drew his own. "Bring it, coward!"

"Coward?!"

"Yeah! Only a coward forfeits like you did at the arena!"

He watched as Kankuro grounded his teeth. "Why you…!"

"Kankuro! No! We're leaving."

The older prince looked as though he was going to protest, but eventually relented and let Gaara lean on his shoulder.

"Running again, huh?!"

Kankuro shouted back, irritated, "Next time, you all won't be so lucky!"

Sasuke was too exhausted to continue. He was bleeding all over, and the ground was a mixture of mud, rain, and blood. His vision faded, and he heard panicked pleas as he blacked out.

Shikamaru Nara

He didn't like being called a natural born leader. It was a pain to lead anything. He wanted nothing more than to lie down on a nice sofa and relax, or of course gaze at the clouds all day. But this was the situation he was in. He and his men were concealed in buildings over looking the street. He himself was hunched down beneath a window, using the cover of twilight to keep himself hidden, and the rain to conceal the small sounds he made.

From what he gathered in the past days was that Wind soldiers were cocky. Perhaps it was the situation they were in or just the difference in cultures, but Shikamaru knew arrogance when he saw it. He recalled his father's words. "Never assume your enemy is stupid. Never assume they haven't trained for years. Assume every enemy you face has the capacity to defeat you. Knowing that, your strategies will always be the best they can." Shikamaru had taken those words to heart the moment he had heard them. He would often run situations over and over in his head, making sure he had backup plans for backup plans. Because of this he was rarely taken by surprise. How could you if you had already developed a way to defeat it.

Thanks to that arrogance they were given this opportunity, and it was critical that his plan worked.

They didn't need to wait any longer before a host of fifteen Wind soldiers rounded the corner of the alley in which they were hidden. They were heading back to the front lines, having just finished scouting. Shikamaru had watched studied them closely the past couple day. They had taken the same route twice before, so he chose this location since it was far enough away from the fighting that it wouldn't draw attention.

It should last no longer than ten seconds if everything went smoothly. He inched back a little to fully conceal himself behind the window. At the front was their target. Blonde hair, tied into four spiked buns. Princess Temari of Sunagakure. She was arrogant. He had watched her compete, and from what he knew, she knew how to fight. Better than most, he'd wager. To minimize their casualties, they wouldn't give them a chance to draw their swords.

He and seven other men waited as they approached. Each of them were hidden surrounding the alley. Only the rain, thunder, and the squish of boots on mud made noise. They had only three bows with them, but it would be plenty to catch them off guard. When the arrows were released they would attack, and if they were lucky, the three arrows would take down a soldier each.

So he waited, and listened as multiple footsteps move in front of him, only feet away. He closed his eyes—and breathed.

Thunk! The arrows flew forth from the buildings. He launched from the broken window into the alley, driving the point of his sword into the closest back he could find. Chaos ensued as his men found whatever flesh they could cut or stab.

"Ambush!" one of the Wind soldiers shouted.

"Get the princess to saf—agh!" A sword across the throat cut him off. Temari had been taken down before she could reach for her weapon. More grunts filled the air, and blood flew to the ground, and in seconds it was over. It had been brutally efficient. The three arrows had found their mark, and in moments the rest of the soldiers were taken down. Only Temari remained.

"Hey! Let go of—" Her protests were cut off by the cloth he gagged her with. He tied it at the base of her skull, and then tied her hands behind her with strong rope. He then cuffed her legs together to make sure she couldn't do more than just walk. They were able to find the pair at a smith's shop that had been abandoned along with the key. That was when the plan had sprung into his mind. He was hoping he could get all three of the sand siblings but one would have to do.

One of his men spoke as he sheathed his sword, "Careful not to run off, lil' miss princess. You might lose a finger for every feet you get away, heh."

Shikamaru wanted to protest the cruelty of that, but he didn't say anything. It might deter her, even if he wouldn't let that happen. The threat didn't appear to phase her though. She only stared back with defiant eyes. That was when he knew he would need to watch her closely. He ordered to hide the bodies, then they moved to take shelter in a nearby hovel.

Night was out, and he was getting tired. Honestly, he wasn't expecting the ambush to go that well. Only one of them suffered any sort of injury, and only a minor cut to the arm at that. Princess Temari however had sprained her wrist when she was thrown to the ground. Unfortunately for her, there wasn't much he could do.

Having gotten supplies from the dead Wind soldiers, he decided it would be a good time to do inventory. Three bows, seventeen arrows, eight swords, eight shields, forty eight potatoes, ten apples, freshly refilled canteens from a nearby well, eight daggers, eight backpacks, some rope, a few small blankets to keep them warm, and a change of clothes for each of them. Along with the armor and clothes on their backs, that was all they had. The biting of the cold air made his breath turn gray. He wanted to relax next to a fire and play chess with Choji, Ino, or his father, but they were stuck in this mess. He wondered how they were doing.

He hoped they were alive.

His eyes wandered to the princess. She was in a standard issue Wind army uniform, greaves, gauntlets, helmet, a sword and shield, and a breastplate, over light green trousers and tunic. It looked more elegant than the Fire uniforms substituting the red for green, and the sturdiness for sleekness. The princess caught his eyes and her eyes burned with anger, threatening to light him aflame. He lazily turned back to his men.

When the screams at the arena started, his mind immediately went into survival mode. He gathered up the closest men he could find, and ushered everyone to the castle as quickly as possible. His father was gathering forces and telling everyone to fall back to the castle. He had said the previous night that that men from the surrounding towns and villages were being summoned in case there was a "problem" on the final day of the tournament. They had been right to do so.

He furrowed his brow in thought. That had been seven days ago, and the fighting was still going on. The forces were being pushed to the castle. It was their last line of defense. If the invaders made their way into the castle, it was over. At one point, he had thought about rounding up as many stragglers as he could and leading a charge into the enemy's flank. But as he really took in the amount of bodies that piled the streets, he was sure there were not enough men for that. So with his men, Shikamaru waited. The eight of them had made sure to avoid as much conflict as they could. Their job he had declared was to rescue as many civilians as possible, however the more he looked the less he found. Most of the houses were empty or its inhabitants slain. He could only assume the civilians had been evacuated to the underground storerooms, as many that could fit anyway. The entrance was near the castle of course, and those that could fight he knew were ordered to pick up a sword and defend the city.

He leaned his head back, and stared at the ceiling, drowning out the banter of his men. What would happen if the castle fell? He didn't know. He had the princess but he wasn't sure what sort of leverage that would give him. Their only hope were the reinforcements. If they could hold out until they got here. They would be saved, but who knew when they would reach the city. Getting messages in and out of the city was near impossible now that the enemy controlled each of the gates. The enemy was beating them back inch by inch, and numerical superiority that Fire country and its allies started with at the day of the tourney was immediately stripped in the opening bloodbath. Many of the soldiers had died that day, and as they retreated to the castle, to form some semblance of a consolidated force, even more had died. He drug a tired hand across his face.

When they all began eating, he warned her. "Try anything like scream, fight, or run. You lose out on food and water for the day."

She only glared daggers at him. He sighed, and undid the gag.

"What the hell do you plan on doing with me?!"

"Keep your voice down."

"And why the hell should I?!"

Shikamaru regagged her. "You're too loud."

"You should keep it off, Captain. I like 'em feisty." One of his soldiers said as he bit into one of the very many potatoes they had.

"Stop that," Shikamaru scolded.

The man frowned. "Ey, I was only kiddin'." Shikamaru shot him a look. "I swear it."

He turned back to her, eyes calmly resting on her fierce ones. "We're taking you prisoner, of course. When this battle is over, we'll think about what to do with you." Of course, he already knew. He would hand her over to Ibiki. He would take it from there. The people would no doubt want her head on a pike.

"I'm going to remove the gag. Keep you voice down this time," he calmly explained. The moment he removed the it, she spit in his face. Two of his men moved to her with clenched fists. With an outstretched hand, he motioned for them to stop. He reached for the gag again and wrapped around her mouth. Firmer this time. He reached up and wiped the spit away.

He picked her up, and moved her to the room in the back that held a large bed. With more rope, he tied her neck to the bedpost much like a dog. It wasn't long enough to allow her to stand, but had enough slack to let her move her head around freely.

He calmly spoke, "Don't pull to hard on the rope, you might choke yourself. That would be a pain."

.

.

.

The next morning as they were preparing to eat, Shikamaru moved to the back room. She was already up, but telling from the way she fought to keep her eyes open, she didn't get much sleep to begin with, if any. He undid her the restraints on her neck, and undid the gag.

She spit in his face again.

He calmly wrapped the gag around her mouth and retied her neck to the bedpost.

"Don't be a drag, princess."

He placed a pot in the room, and shut the door, leaving her there for the whole day.

They didn't really do much. They waited really, making idle conversation. The next day, they would have to move, it would be suspicious that the princess hadn't returned from her scouting. Eventually though, the sun set and the moon was shrouded in dark clouds as it stormed and rained. The building they chose luckily had windows that were still intact so they were safe from the torrential downpour.

It continued to storm into the next day. He yawned as he walked into the bedroom, a small blanket wrapped around him to stave off the cold morning. Her head was down with her chin on her chest, and the four neat buns she once had were now disheveled and in disarray. She was still in her armor, but her boots had been removed and laid next to her. He was then keenly aware of the lack of a blanket on the bed. The nights were getting colder by the day, and as his breath turned gray, he realized the mornings were just as bad. She was shivering.

He squatted down in front of her. Her eyes opened. "Are you hungry? Thirsty, maybe?" Shikamaru presented four potatoes and a canteen of water. "Nod for yes. Shake for no."

Eventually, with slow movement, he watched her shake her head. She was stubborn. He sighed and made for the door. A sound came from her then, something between a grunt and a whimper as a he reached the door handle, so he turned back to face her. With the weakest and almost imperceptible movement, she nodded her head. He moved to unbound her hands and removed the gag. Still keeping her tied by the neck, and her legs cuffed.

"Which one do you want first? Food or water?" He waited, but she didn't answer. "I need you to tell me. Food or water?" It made him feel weird doing this. Cruel in a way, but this is what Ibiki had told him once. Having your prisoner pick from a list presented by you, forced them to communicate, made them dependent on you, and if you promised to do something for them, be sure to fulfill the request. It builds trust and dependency. So he waited patiently for her response.

In a ragged, airy voice, as though the her throat hadn't opened for days, she said in a tone above a whisper, "…water…"

Shikamaru presented her the canteen. She greedily drank from it. He expected as much from being without it for nearly two days. A flash from the prisoner who's throat was slit in the night blinked in his mind. 'Tell me, do you honestly think Ame can launch a successful invasion against the Land of Fire? We're only a city-state.' That was what she said, and yet here they were. He had mulled over her words these past several days. He could only believe Ame was behind this. Somehow. He didn't know how though. And someone silenced her before she was able to speak anymore. Had it been another assassin or...?

He noticed the princess studying him closely. His next question spilled forth, "Do you want to eat?"

She nodded her head weakly.

He presented four potatoes to her. Two for yesterday, and two for today. "All we have is potatoes and water." He shrugged and sat down across from her with his back against closed door. Now that her hands were free, he needed to keep an eye on her. Although there were no windows in this room, it would still be a pain if she untied herself.

If someone had told him when he was younger or even a week ago, that he'd have kidnapped a princess, he would have laughed at the ridiculousness of it. But here he was with a princess across five feet across from him tied to a bedpost at the neck. He would be sure to tell his children of this day, if he could make it out of this alive.

He caught the canteen that was tossed at him.

"I'll refill it when we leave."

Her throat was a bit less ragged, but still had the airiness of dehydration in it. "Leave where?"

"You're awfully nosy for someone who's my prisoner." She glared at him anger clearly in her eyes. She took a bite of the second potato, having already eaten the first. He humored her, "Don't know yet. We sent some scouts ahead, they should be back soon." He didn't want to be too specific, but the place they would relocate to definitely needed to be far from the princess's scouting route. Wind soldiers were definitely going to come looking for their lost princess. "How's your wrist?"

"It's been bound by rope for almost two days. What do you think?"

"Fair."

Her question came suddenly. "What's your name." It was a harmless question on the surface, but Shikamaru was no fool. Even though she was currently looking at the potato she was eating, he had a feeling she was a cunning one.

"I'm sure you've overheard the men talking to me."

"You're right." She stared at him then. She took time to bite off another chunk, and swallowed. "Shikamaru of House…?"

She let the statement hang there as if wanting him to finish.

He smirked, a little amused at her questioning. "Do you plan on slaughtering all my kinsfolk if you make it out of this? All two of them? Not much to slaughter, hm? Can't say we're much of a house either. We're not even landed."

She looked up to him then, face stern as though she had just found an opportunity to seize upon. "If you let me go, I'll make sure you're outfitted with a castle for your house and your name."

The stoic and stony visage cracked a little when she said that. There was the small hint of the desperation most people would show in this situation. Of course, he didn't know if she were telling the truth, and even she did…

"I'll have to decline. I'm not too interested in ruling over sand."

She snorted in a manner that didn't seem very princess-like. The small talk on the other hand was what he had hoped for. It showed just a small speck of trust. Perhaps she was hoping to get better treatment.

"Why did you guys do it?" His question was abrupt. But that was the point.

She ate the last of the potatoes. "I'm finished." She obviously avoided the question, but he figured he'd try anyway.

"You betrayed our trust. We invited you to our tournament and our feasts, and you dishonor us by slaughtering our people?" His voice was calm but accusatory. Temari didn't meet his eyes, but she made it clear she had no intention of responding. He sighed. "I'll be back when it's time for us to move." He walked over to her and rebounded her arms behind her back, then went to re-gag her but she moved her head back.

He was sure it was an uncomfortable experience to have something wrapped in your mouth, so he took pity on her. It was in his nature.

"If you promise not to scream, I won't put it on. Do you promise?"

She barely nodded her head, so he retracted the piece of cloth. She saw her deflate and the tension leave from her.

He removed the blanket from around him and tossed it at her feet. "Shikamaru Nara, by the way." He left the room, letting the door creak shut behind him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi

The king and his former student moved swiftly down the halls of the castle, their steps reverberating in the corridors. The windows showed that it was nighttime, and the rain pelted the windows fiercely. A flash of lightning mingled with the candlelight from the lanterns that lit the halls.

King Hiruzen clenched the hilt of his sword. The fighting was still going on. Even though the Land of Water lent them their support, they were still losing. It was still possible they could hold out for a little while longer, maybe a few days. The location of the castle was such that it sat atop a hill, which allowed for archers to shoot overhead, and for the men to fight downhill. Securing the high-ground was a vital tactic in battles, and could decide the fate of the entirety of it. But such tactics would give only so much of an advantage against sheer numbers. During the initial attack, the casualties were massive. Many civilians and soldiers were caught off guard. The stone seats of the arena were stained red.

He had hoped Ibiki was able to round up enough of the civilians and move them to safety. The rest of them had then retreated to the castle, Princess Mei, her handmaidens and retainers had been moved to a separate room while he and the other Fire nobles were spread out in the castle.

His thoughts returned to the present. He needed to move to the battlefield. It would give his men a much needed morale boost, and he was getting restless while sitting cooped in the castle. He was no coward.

"That's a face I haven't seen in years," he heard Orochimaru say next to him. "Are you that eager?"

"You can't say you're not either." A small smirk grew on his lips. He knew his former ward. Orochimaru had a penchant for fighting. Though, he would spend most of his days in the basement mulling away in his lab, he knew he was not one to slouch on his swordsmanship. He was a fierce fighter. In his youth, together with Jiraiya and Tsunade, they made a deadly trio. It still pained him to this day of the fallout they had with each other. Neither of them would ever say what had occurred, but apparently it made the inseparable trio crumble apart.

"Stay vigilant, Your Grace."

That's when he heard it. Talking? He could make out hushed whispers from around the corner leading to the kitchens.

"Can't believe… this lucky… secret… tunnel…"

He made for the sound quickly, Orochimaru following closely behind. He turned the corner, and a lantern within the kitchen illuminated their figures. Four men looked back at them, and at their feet, the floor opened up revealing a trap door.

They found an entrance to the tunnels?

"Do you all plan on turning tail? Who's your captain?" He started to question.

One of them spoke, "Oh, uh, no, Your Excellency. We were just moving to a different room, and we came across this open hatch."

"It was like that when you came in?" he asked, eyes looking at one of the doors to the underground tunnels. They were each dressed in cloaks that reached to their knees—but what was strange was the water stuck to the tips of their hair, and hung on each of their cloaks.

"We swear."

Orochimaru stepped into the room and spoke casually to them. "You all seem a bit wet remove your cloaks, you don't want the cold to chill you to the bone, do you?" A crack of thunder ripped through the castle.

Hiruzen didn't take his eyes of them, and his hand slowly came to rest on the hilt of his sword.

Another one of them spoke, "Oh yes, a good idea, my lord." They moved to untie their cloaks. Then the ring of a blade caught his ear. Hiding swords under their cloaks?

Hiruzen drew his sword and parried and incoming slash. He backed out of the kitchens and into the hall. Orochimaru had already swiftly cut the throat of one who had lunged at him. One of them, he assumed their leader, spoke as the now three of them pushed into the hall. Orochimaru returned to his side, a flash of lightning showed the blood that was on his sword.

"A desperate attack like that was pretty rash, don't you think?" Orochimaru taunted.

"Be smart, men! You're up against, King Hiruzen, and the Snake of Konoha, Orochimaru! Don't blindly attack like that idiot," he pointed to his comrade that was choking on his own blood trying desperately to prevent more from escaping. "If we play it smart here. We can take these guy's head and discover where that tunnel leads. King Rasa will pay us our weight in gold!"

The leader charged toward Orochimaru, and his two subordinates moved to Hiruzen. The thunder cracked as their swords struck. They were fortunate that they could do this in a hall. The enemy couldn't flank them, so it would be easy to keep the three of them in the front.

"I have to say, Wind soldiers, you're awfully crafty to find the entrance to one of our tunnels," Orochimaru commented in between strikes at their leader.

The leader smirked, "The compliment is appreciated, but while we did find a tunnel that led here, the one in the kitchens wasn't one of them. It was like that when we got there." Orochimaru lunged at the leader's chest, but it was sidestepped at the last moment.

Hiruzen turned his attention back to his opponents. They were too sloppy, too slow. They were young, probably late teens. Their leader was definitely an older man, but his underlings had a fear in their eyes that begged for their lives. They were slashing, hoping they would hit. They weren't picking their attacks wisely. He parried a stab at him, and immediately cut at one of their arms. The sword connected and ran deep. His attacker let out a whimper at the pain.

The other one was immediately pushing back at Hiruzen, giving his partner time to collect himself, but it didn't last long. Orochimaru's blade pierced through the boy's neck, poking out the front side. It was immediately ripped out in time to block an incoming blow.

Orochimaru's raspy voice echoed through the hall as he continued to trade strikes with the leader. "Resting during a fight? Remember, the king isn't your only opponent, boys."

"Higa! Dammit!" The boy in front of him shouted, anger lacing his eyes.

The fool.

Hiruzen saw the boy's movement before it happened. He was too obvious, and rage was clouding his judgment. A wide downward swing. But the moment, the boy's arms started to move upward, Hiruzen's sword was already through his chest. The boy fell back, clutching at the wound.

"Mo…mma…" the blood spilled freely and he fell ungracefully, the life seeping from him.

Their leader had stepped back then, seeing his three fallen subordinates, and grinded his teeth. "Dammit all." As he looked back, the kick to his head was swift, connecting squarely on the side, whipping his neck back. He fell to the ground.

"He's unconscious." Orochimaru's raspy voice spoke as he bent over the leader, "I remember this man, I believe he's called Yura. One of the Land of Wind's spies. He would be more use to us alive than dead."

How Orochimaru knew of a Wind spy, he wasn't sure, but if he was telling the truth, then it was a wise decision. Hiruzen looked back at the boys again. They were young, and in a way, it pained his heart that their lives had to be taken. His mind raced back to the last war they had with Wind. He would have thought King Rasa would be opposed to such a war again. Does his grudge truly run that deep? But why now? Hiruzen had been alive for a long time, he had seen multiple wars, and participated in countless battles. The horrors of such conflict weren't lost on him, but these were thoughts for a later time.

"Orochimaru, if what they said earlier was true, that means that one of the tunnels have been found. We must make sure its secure. The battlefield must wait. We'll also need to make sure guards come and secure this Yura person. Let us go! We shouldn't waste more time!"

"Of course, my king."

It was imperative that they found the other tunnel that those Wind soldiers came from. But that kitchen tunnel was already opened? Who could have gone down there. Or did someone come out. Damn, if the castle's defense had been compromised, then what else could they do. There were only a handful of people that knew of those tunnels locations. Was it by dumb luck that it was found? Impossible! Their locations blended perfectly with the environment. But however it was found was no longer an issue. The issue was that was found. They needed to hurry. The longer they delayed the less of a chance they had. He would go back and gather as many soldiers as he could afford.

Hiruzen nodded to himself, a plan in mind. He turned from his former student and started back down where they came. Thunder violently cracked, and the halls lit with brilliant lightning.

All of a sudden it hurt to breathe.

A burning intensity flared from his chest. The sharp pain radiated throughout his torso, up his neck and down his stomach. He staggered a bit and coughed out the liquid that came up from his throat.

Blood.

Had he been injured during the fight?

He looked down—a blade protruded from his chest covered in thick crimson.

"W…Wha—?" The blade was ripped out, and he gritted at the pain. His legs gave out, and he fell to his knees.

He heard footsteps move around him, and tilting his head, he saw Orochimaru, a bloody sword in his hand and a somber look on his face. His vision was swimming, fading.

"King Hiruzen… killed by his enemies." The voice sounded miles away.

"…Why, Orochimaru… my… why?"

"He fell valiantly in battle, cutting down his foes before succumbing to his wounds."

"…You were… a son… to me…"

"He will surely be missed."

"Oro… tell me…"

"The kingdom will mourn in anguished cries."

Thunder roared. A white flash brightened the pale face of his former ward. The war orphan he had taken in stared back at him. Orochimaru's lips were set in a firm line.

The smell of iron moved to one of sweetness. It smelled of flowers. The field of daffodils stretched to as far as his eyes could see. He squinted at the warm summer sun above.

Orochimaru looked up at him with a content smile while sitting on the ground with his knees pulled close. The child was misunderstood, but Hiruzen would raise him like his own. He would have a place at his side at court. He would teach him to protect himself, to ride, to fish, to hunt. The other kids didn't like him much. That was okay though. He had told him once before that in this world even if you live the most virtuous of lives, someone will still find reason to dislike you. Hiruzen saw something special in the child. He knew he would make his mark on the world.

He stroked his beard and continued to read from the book in his lap. "The story is ending so listen closely, Oro. 'When word had reached that their brave king had fallen in battle, the people mourned him with anguished cries, but the new king hushed them with tears running down his face. 'I will lead you,' he said. 'I will do my father proud.' Do you know what they said in response, Oro?"

Orochimaru looked guilty like he had just committed a crime. "I do! I'm sorry! I read ahead and already finished!"

He laughed heartily, holding his chest. "That's quite alright. I've been busy, so I must apologize that I wasn't able to finish it with you. I just didn't know you were so interested," he teased lightly.

"Sorry, Your Grace…" Oro still looked unsure as his eyes moved to the flowers near his feet.

He placed a hand on the boy's head and gave it a gentle rub. He leaned down and whispered, "Didn't I say that when we were alone you didn't need to be so formal." Gave him a wink and leaned back. "Now go on, Oro, why don't you finish it. Do you remember what they said?" A smile spread on his lips. One of fatherly love.

The child grew a wide grin that tugged at his heart.

He wondered if Jiraiya or Tsunade would like the story. He should tell it to them too. Perhaps Asuma and Konohamaru as well. Yes, that was a good idea, and one he was sure Biwako would like. He would have to do that sometime.

He urged him quietly, "Go on, finish it for me, Oro. Then afterwards we can eat. I think the chef is cooking your favorite. Eggs, right?" They exchanged smiles.

Oro's voice was older, deeper, and raspier as he recited the story's ending. "The king is dead… long live the king…"

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When I had first started writing this story this was one of the parts I couldn't wait to right. And I tried my hardest to put as much emotion into Hiruzen's death as possible. I hope it turned out well. And hey look it didn't take a year for the chapter to come out, making progress! Team 7 unites as well! I wonder what hijinks they'll be pulling next chapter lol. We'll also check back on Neji too, I had a chapter for him prepared for this chapter, but I'll put it in the next one instead. I think it'll flow better.

Hope you liked it! I'll try and get the next chapter out asap. Toss me a review!

Much love!