partner project / you're nothing to me (shikamaru x reader)

chapter eight

The Nara house was empty except me and Shikamaru, It was mostly quiet until Yoshino came back from getting groceries. When she began to cook a small snack, the ground began to shake.

Me and Shikamaru could easily detect the various amounts of chakra, and the thuds were clearly footsteps. Could it possibly be enemy shinobi?

We rushed out of the house and started to run South. When we reached the forest, we jumped from branch to branch, speeding as fast as we could.

"We can't do much, Shikamaru! We haven't even become official genin!" I say, a bit worried. If me and him faced these powerful shinobi, surely we'd both become badly injured.

"We have to protect the people and the village, Y/n. Backup will arrive soon, we just have to distract." He said wisely. "And, uh, if it comes to it, I'll protect you." I scoff at his words.

"Please! If anything, I'll be the one picking up your slack!" He laughs.

"Just stall, Y/n. Nothing risky, okay?" He reminds me.

"Yeah, of course."

We rush quickly. Suddenly, a kunai nearly hits Shikamaru, grazing his leg. We stop and drop to the ground below.

"Ah, young shinobi. What could you possibly do to stop us?" A man with navy blue hair in a messy bun asks. From the shadows, 4 other shinobi emerge, all dressed in all black, from head to toe, only showing their eyes.

Me and Shikamaru nod, and he points toward me. I initiate the attack.

"Mirror Style: Confusion Jutsu!" I yell, and try my best to weave clean signs, but they end up being fast and sloppy. Mirrors arise and trap the shinobi in a cube, full of mirrors. Using a hefty amount of chakra, I jump back to refuel.

"Shikamaru! Go!" I yell breathily. "I know!" He leaps forward.

"Shadow Possesion Jutsu!" A shadow leaps from the bottom of his feet, and reaches to grab the man with the navy blue hair. He turns back to me.

"I've only got two!" He yells, his body shaking. I know he's trying his best, even if he's a lazy-ass who tries his best always to the least amount of work, he does his best when it comes to fighting.

"That's fine! They should be distracted for a bit!" I said, jumping to his side, a bit closer to the box. Slipping into it, I pull out a kunai and charge for a shinobi wrapped in shadows. But quickly, it pulls back, and everything breaks. The mirrors crumble and shatter, giving an ear-deafening screech as they fall to the ground and fade away.

A shinobi with long pale blue hair charges at me, on the floor and vunerable. I shield my face, prepared to take the blow.

Shikamaru leaps forward, parrying the attack into a strict taijutsu battle, which isn't his specialty. I watch intently for a few seconds as Shikamaru attempted to keep up with the shinobi dressed in all black. As I sat up to go help, the female ninja stabs his arm, and I rush forward to aid him.

Me and the female kunoichi fought, taijutsu one of my specialties, sending her down but I wasn't fast enough to notice another kunai being thrown and puncturing me in the leg, one that Shikamaru failed to block while sitting.

He stood in front of me now, clutching his arm. Blood flowed through and slipped out through his fingers, dripping efficiently on to the floor. He crumbled loosely and I caught him in my arms, hugging him tight to my chest.

This isn't the end... this isn't...

The dark blue hair ninja stood in front of us with a blade in hand, intent to kill us both off. I pulled him behind me, preparing to block with everything In my power.