Sun and Shadow

Chapter 8

It's been an hour since they were released into the forest of death. In order to speed up the process Naruto and Shikamaru made their teams come together. They attacked the sound ninjas seeing as they were working for Orochimaru lucky the sound had the scrolls they were looking for. So they headed for the tower. When they arrived the Sand siblings were coming towards the buliding as well.

"Seems we all made it in record time," Naruto commented as they headed inside. Inside waiting was the different senseis from different teams. They seemed surprised that we made it in under two hours.

"Would you look at that guess they aren't all talk," Anko teased as they came closer. "You kiddies can pull the srcolls but it makes no sense, the scroll summons your team sensei,"

"Rather pointless," Shikamaru yawned, he turned to Naruto with a pointed look then looked at Gaara and walked away. Naruto sighed, grabbed Gaara's hand and followed him. Since they had five days to wait they were heading home.

At the Nara compound Yoshino was startled to see her son and best friend casually walk to the forest dragging a red headed boy. "Shikaku, they're back, is that a good or bad sign,"

Shikaku groaned in his dazed sleep. "It's a good thing, it's a good thing. It means they finished the second part quickly." She smiled and waved to the boys who waved her back.

They entered deep into the Nara forest and finally sat among the deer. 

"Why did you bring me here?" Gaara asked in awe at the peaceful atmosphere. 

"Well you and Shukaku seem to have a little bit some control issues," Naruto stated. "I can see the seal is weak and Shukaku being rebellious and bloodthirsty takes over your body when you can't keep up,"

"So you know how to fix it?" Gaara asked a little hope shining in his eyes. Naruto nodded and pulled out a scroll.

"The is the instructions to a five finger seal," Naruto explained. "I can do it here and now but I need your consent to go into your mind,"

" Why do you need to go there," He asked.

"Because it's where Shukaku resides, I need to see the gates of his prison so I can either strengthen the bars or build them over," Shikamaru answered for Naruto. "I'm here because is Shukaku attempts to take over while your asleep I can stop him,"

"How will you enter my mind," 

"Just leave it to me, sleep while you can and if all goes well you can sleep in peace after this," Naruto smiled.

With that they got the area ready for the re-sealing of Shukaku. Naruto and Shikamaru drew blood from their fingers and began drawing the circle with Gaara in the center. 

"Why are you doing this," Gaara asked them when they were finished. Shikamaru was behind preparing for the worst and Naruto sat cross legged in front of him.

"Sleep is such a beautiful thing, I want you to experience it," Shikamaru smiled. Naruto laughed at the suggestion.

"Well for me, I don't want to see you suffer trying to hold back a beast that is practically behaving like a teenager. Kurama could've chosen to hurt me so he could be free instead he stayed and helped me. I know Shukaku means well the dead give away is how he coats you in that sand armor, it's his way of caring. A little scolding never hurts,"

Naruto began a series of hand signs before he passed out. He woke up in a desert a hail storm passing through. He knew the sand couldn't do anything so he trudged towards the source. He came across a enormous cave and went inside to see Shukaku sleeping. 

"Wake up," Naruto folded his legs on the ground and stared at the sand demon. Shukaku opened an eye to glare at his brother's host. 

"What do you want," Shukaku grumbled. Naruto smiled.

"You weren't sealed properly and to top it off your a rouge beast," Shukaku laughed at him, no one had the guts to say it to him. But this brat, a smart one at that said it. 

"So what's wrong with a little blood shed? You do Kurama is a cut above the rest of us, bloodthirsty doesn't cover him," Shukaku scoffed.

Naruto smirked. "I don't mind but your just plain reckless and it's costing Gaara. Don't you care?" He tilted his head at the beast a knowing look plastered on his face. 

"I care but I don't want him hurt, everyone that I kill are the ones that degrade him. I understand it's taking a toll but I can't refuse the urge," Shukaku confessed, he brought his face directly infront of Naruto. "Lady Chiyo didn't do the best sealing job but can you fix it, atleast this way I can help him more than just providing sand armor."

"Knew you were misunderstood, you and Gaara need a long talk after this is completed," Naruto grinned. He flew through a series off hand signs and the tips of his right hand fingers ignited with green chakra, a sign of healing. He approached the faulty seal and began remaking it.

On the outside Shikamaru stood ready, he even Possessed Gaara before Naruto went in to do the job. It started with a groan of pain, that was the only signal he needed. He planted his feet firmly on the ground as Gaara began screaming. Green chakra embraced him and swirled and settled in his stomach.

'Naruto always doing the impossible,' Shikamaru chuckled as he saw Naruto awaken.

"It's done!" Naruto cheered and ran to Shikamaru. He caught the blond easily who ws being way too giddy in his arms. Gaara was sleeping, you could tell by the soft snores leaving him. "Him and Shukaku are going to be fine, I feel accomplished. That was my first test at Sealing."

Shikamaru stared at him in shock. "It was a gamble?" Naruto gave him a shrug.

"More or less I know I can do it but this was the test to see if I was right." Naruto gave a foxy grin. Shikamaru sighed and fell back with a groan as the blond crushed him.

"Lucky you," Shikamaru murmured. Naruto sat up, sitting on the Nara's hips. 

"It worked so stop worrying," Naruto said sternly. "I can see the gears turning out the worst case scenario if I fucked up," The raven sighed and pulled the blond into a hug.

"About the other day...." Shikamaru trailed off, Naruto stiffened. The alley. 

They were so close to crossing a line. 

A line of uncertainty.

Naruto was terrified of his feelings for the other, ever since the other bathed the blood off him. He knew he was hooked for the raven. This was such a mess. Even though the Nara clan accepted him as a part of them that was it. He didn't expect them to accept him as Shikamaru's boyfriend, after all he was the Clan Head's son. Shikaku's son. 

He needed a woman to carry on his offspring, not a freak like him.

Naruto's eyes teared up as he realized what he was gonna have to do. He promised to never let Shikamaru go, he was going to be that possessive best friend. But at some point he was going to be required to let him go and he didn't want that.

"Naruto," Shikamaru called worriedly, he was sobbing in his arms. 'Maybe I shouldn't let him know,'

He wrapped his arms tighter around Naruto and the blond accepted it. 

'Please Shikamaru don't go, not yet. Not ever,'