Painfully Aware with So Much to Learn

Chapter Twenty-six: Wrath of the Aware

Team nine and Naruto are well into their trek when Naruto freezes, catching the Nara's attention. "Two of them, not far from here." At this Shikamaru blanches, but then smirks.

"Everuone ready?" Ino and Choji held similar expressions but nodded, Naruto's eyes held only the inhuman determination he's always been known for. They all nodded and began quickening their pace further, their stance behind Naruto for his sensory skills.

It took them another four minuites before they reached their targets, waiting in the trees for an opportunity to strike. That opportunity came when the silver haired man, Hidan, started hitting on the man with stitches on his mouth, Kakuzu.

The Konoha nin initiated the attack, Shikamaru leading Hidan away from the group to deal with himself. Choji, Ino and Naruto worked tirelessly to beat Kakuzu back until the Akimichi and Yamanaka ran out of chakra, leaving Naruto with plenty of room.

Naruto spawned two of his infamous shadow clones and began making what looked like a Rasengan, until the loud chime sound began to surround the area. The spiralling ball of light began to make a silhouette of a large spinning shuriken in the blonde's hand. Sufficiently distracted by the noise and the light show, he barely had time to dodge when he found this mysterious jutsu flying toward him.

He quickly shifted, the jutsu only grazing his arm, which to his surprise, severed every tendon in his shoulder and rendering his left arm useless. He didn't have time to think on this, however, as the clone of his attacker was waiting and struck him in the back with a rasengan while he was dazed, taking out two of his many hearts.

Kakuzu growled at the childish ninja who was now doing a happy dance with all of his clones dispelled. "You took two of my hearts. Yours shall be a replacement." He snarled before firing elemental jutsus at him left and right with his one good arm. It became clear that the cocky happy dance was a distraction when that clone dispelled. Again before Kakuzu could comprehend he was tackled by half a dozen Narutos. He began bucking them off just to be faced with another of the mysterious shuriken jutsu's. This one hit dead on, Kakuzu was lifted into the air with what looked like millions of flashing senbon. Kakuzu could not scream from the amount of attacks that hit him, his body in uncomprehendable pain on every inch of his body. A crater formed where Kakuzu now layed, one heart remaining to keep him just barely breathing.

Naruto quickly ran to Shikamaru's side. "Do you need any help?" He said, distracting from the fact that he was discreetly passing Shikamaru something.

"No, go to Ino, it's obvious your arm's broken." Naruto let out an awkward chuckle and scratched the back of his neck with his good arm. This annoyed Hidan to no end, seeing as his opponent stopped mid-battle to talk to his assumed boyfriend.

Naruto ran back to the others of team ten, leaving his Nara companion to pick up where he left off.

"Hmm" Hidan purred. "That was quite the looker, I'm sure lord Jashin would want him." He said with the biggest shit-eating grin he could muster.z "lord Jashin is ever generous to his followers, perhaps he'll let me take the boy's innocence first." He mocked, making a show of palming himself.

That was what snapped Shikamaru. The thought of killing him. Of defiling and killing the only person that keeps him sane, even without realizing it. Of Naruto Uzumaki dying because of Shikamaru's incompetence. He ran at Hidan as fast as he could, punching and kicking him with all of his taijutsu skill. Once Hidan readied his weapon, Shikamaru jumped back a little, studying his movements as if it were the last thing he would do.

Hidan stayed in his circle and began launching his three bladed scythe at the Nara heir, missing and missing but then. As a blade flew dangerously close to his head, a small streak of blood painted the scythe and his cheek, but Hidan knew that was more than enough. He began licking the blood while Shikamaru grew pale and his whole body began to shake with what Hidan could only identify as fear. Fear for his life, and fear for his loved one. Hidan took a sick enjoyment in watching the shinobi crumble as he lined up to stab himself. Right in the heart he plunged his scythe, only for Shikamaru to fall to his knees, clutching his chest with desperation.

But then he smirked, making the priest beyond baffled. The raven stood up without resistance, facing the immortal with an almost evil glint n his eye. "And that, my friend, was the last heart of that partner of yours." He said as he watched fear and grief paint across Hidan's face.

Just as Shikamaru had assessed, the silverette was in love with his partner. Hidan fell to his knees in the shock that he had killed his own teammate, gripping the dirt below him as he unknowingly kneeled to Shhikamaru.

The raven lit a cigarette with a familiar silver lighter before walking over to the greif-ridden Hidan, placing his foot firmly on the Akatsuki's back and holding him in place.

It only snapped him out of his spiralling, however, when he felt the newly made stitches that attached his head to hid body be roughly pulled apart. His body fell limp while he stared at the teenager in horror.

Wordlessly, Shikamaru held Hidan's head by his now dirty hair as he dug a deep hole with an earth jutsu. He threw the head of his opponent into the hole before speaking.

"What of your pathetic lord Jashin now? Where is he while you are suffering?" He took his sensei's lighter out of his pocket, lighting it. "You killed Asuma-sensei, but he passed his will of fire to me. This 'Lord Jashin' is not your god." He made a single hand sign before looking Hidan straight in the eyes. "I am."

And the hole was filled, leaving hidan without a body, which was quickly taken care of with a fire jutsu.

Shikamaru lit the lighter one final time, watching the smoke trail up into nothingness before his eyes. "You've been avenged, Asuma-sensei. I will protect your king." He said quietly, before his thoughts were interrupted in a way only a certain blonde could.

"Shika! Are ya' ready to go?" He said, waving his arms and running to his closest companion.

"I will also protect my own king." Shikamaru muttered, looking fondly at his blonde before closing the lighter with a sigh.

"Troublesome blonde, your arm's still broken, what did you do?" He said, not a hint of contempt in his voice.

Naruto chuckled before moving to walk with his friend. "Well, you know the rasengan, right? Well Kakashi-sensei was telling me about it, did you know that jerk can make a rasengan with one hand? Anyways he was talking about..." Naruto continued, spending the whole trip home rambling to Shikamaru, who just loved to hear his voice and only answered when needed.

Ino and Choji saw the way their teammate was looking at the vibrant blonde, and they gave eachother knowing looks before continuing on their way.
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Hiya! Sorry this took so long, I've been having some serious writers block and I have 3 tests I have to study for T^T. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a nice day!
                                                      ~Gracie