Book One- The Enemy

Chapter 6

The three days passed faster than expected. A flash of Tsunade's enraged face, a crash of the Hokage's desk splitting in two, and unsavory curses leaving the woman barley stirred his interest. He expected it and was just grateful he wasn't the target of the rage. Yet she agreed, they both knew what had to be done, she trusted him after all to pull through with the plan and the talk of the suspected alliance was all that lingered in the Leaf's outpost near the border. Shikamaru didn't answer the many questions shot his way and even ignored the glares and rumors of possibly treason in the air.

He could laugh, he did find it funny that the minds of such loyal comrades would shift with the talk of merging with the enemy. Pride did call for suspicion after all. He didn't trust it himself, even when he was the one who suggested it, but a nagging feeling told him he had no choice in the matter and needed to look elsewhere for answers, that just happened to be the Sand army.

Temari made it clear she agreed with him, she was woman who thought quickly on her feet after all.

Although the alliance was said to be temporarily it was a step in the right direction to finally end the useless war that had plagued their nations for so long. Now to only stop the useless bloodshed among them but possibly to bind the bonds among their villages once more. Wishful thinking on Shikamaru's part, he would have preferred less war, maybe he could watch more clouds that way.

Speaking of clouds.

With a long sigh he turned his eyes towards the sky above the familiar bright blue welcoming him to ease under it as he stood hands slack in his pockets waiting on the bridge of the Sand and Leaf border. The sound of rushing water rang below, crashing on either side of the cliffs connecting the lands together.

Behind him Kakashi crouched resting his head on a hand and reading a rather questionable book. He was as calm as the clouds above just floating by and agreeing with Shikamaru when he had brought up the proposal. On his other side however was waving in a rage filled suspicion. Neji stood arms crossed ghostly white eyes wide and veins stretched to the side a silence tense mood between the three.

"How did you manage to send word to them anyways?" Neji muttered keeping his focus on searching the thinning trees ahead.

"I told you I had a run in with one when I was in the Earth's camp" Shikamaru hummed as if on repeat, keeping his eyes to the sky. He wasn't completely lying, but he wasn't about to tell them he'd had the enemy in his arms a week ago. If not for the fact they'd be enraged by it, but by the fact he didn't want to linger on the thought of anything besides the upcoming war, easier said then done. He needed to be more focused, the once enemies would merge again after so many years, and that alone was a challenge to succeed.

"Fate had an interesting way of showing itself" Kakashi mused not looking up from his book. The two disregarded him lost in their own thoughts.

"It could be an ambush" Neji ventured eyes narrowing.

"It's not trust me" Shikamaru let out an easy exhale eyes lowered as if he'd take a nap standing up.

"Three advancing towards us" Neji called, he was against the plan but as a commanding captain contained his emotions towards it to follow his respected orders. Shikamaru kept his gaze above inhaling with a sigh as the breeze awakened his thoughts and he slowly lowered his eyes to the three approaching sand shinobi, each adorned with their own sand colored cloaks.

He heard a faint thud of a book closing, then Kakashi rising to stand quietly. Neji relaxed his eyes veins retreating and glaring under a lowered gaze. Temari gracefully approached stopping her respectable distance from the enemy with Kankuro and Baki both crossing their arms as they guarded either of her sides, not that she needed it. The air was tense among the others but a familiar glint in the teal eyes narrowed his own.