Shikamaru rushed past Naruto, intent on protecting her. He had watched helplessly outside the barrier after defeating over two hundred enemy nin. His chakra was low, he was exhausted, and he had dropped his soldier pills when he fought one of the stronger Oto nin. He wanted to summon Yoru, but the Dragon wouldn't let him.

'Dammit Yoru, I need you!'

"If you summon me, you'll die."

'I don't care! I need to save her!

"And What?! Die and leave her alone again with daughter to raise!? Fight with all you have as long as you live to save them another day. Pain is worth life. Remember this. I shall assist as much as I can, but you need to use the Shadows."

Shikamaru blinked the frustrated tears out of his eyes and summoned the Shadows. Their whispers helped him calm down every time he saw Naruto's half-lidded, unfocused eyes as she clutched the wound in her stomach. She had already used as much of Kurama's chakra as she could without losing control.

He didn't bother forming hand seals for jutsu, using the Shadows wordlessly, attacking the snake Sannin relentlessly. He was losing, badly, even with the Shadows, barely grazing the slimy rogue. His chakra was close to bottoming out and his vision was wavering, but he had to hold on.

He threw a shadow lance, which was dodged, and made it spike out, stabbing the Sannin in the cheek and shoulder, a hand stopping the spikes from piercing his neck.

"Kukuku, Shikamaru Nara... I think I'll take you too."

Shikamaru just panted and had the shadows raise into a deadly wave. Any other time of day the wave would have been massive, but the shadows were small, and Shikamaru struggled to get the wave over ten feet.

The Nara sent the wave forward to crush Orochimaru, only for his eyes to widen and his body to freeze. There was a hand on his neck. He made to jump away, but stumbled, and with a jolt of chakra to his neck, He collapsed.

'Dammit... Hinari... Naru.. I'm sorry.'

Hinari started wailing around thirty minutes after being in the bunker. Anko frowned and tried to ease the eleven-month-old. "Shh, Hina-chan, Momma and Dada will be back." She looked towards the entrance in worry. 'Brats... You better come back.'

Naruto groaned as she woke, She was laying on a stone slab, and when she tried to sit up, she found herself chained to the slab. She shivered and tried to call on her chakra. She couldn't feel it.

'Chakra seals. Damn. Kurama?!'

"I'm here. Kit, According to Yoru, We're in one of Orochimaru's hideouts. I have a bad feeling. Yoru seemed kind of subdued. Try to reach out to Nara."

Naruto began to feel worry. She ignored the chill and kept her eyes closed. She had yet to open them, partially fearing what she'd see.

'Shika!?' The thought flowed through the door. The door was open, yet no thoughts came through. 'Is he unconscious?'

"Most likely."

Suddenly a blinding feeling of pain rushed through her mind, and her eyes flew open. There was no one there, it was just a stone room. The pain continued, and Naruto grit her teeth. "K-Kura-ma... Wh-AAgh!" She whimpered.

"That's not your pain. It seems the Nara is being tortured."

'Shika!'

'Naru? You're ok!?' Another wave of pain, and Shikamaru's scream echoed through her mind. 

'Shikamaru! What are they doing to you?!''

'I'm fine! They're going to use me against you! Don't fall for it!'

Naruto choked back a sob. She heard the door open and in came the Snake himself.

"My, my, what a pretty body you have. Shame that demon of yoursss doesn't like to share."

Naruto realized why she was so cold. She was naked, and instantly, her eyes filled with fear. "Clothes," She whimpered. 

Orochimaru laughed, "Don't be shy, I need no obstruction from my... expirementsss."

He walked closer, a syringe in hand. Naruto thrashed, terror in her every movement as she tried to break free and get away from the Sannin. "G-get away, STAY AWAY!" She shrieked, trying to curl in on herself. Orochimaru paused and studied her. Fear was etched into her very core, and she was sweating despite the low temperature. He didn't care for her looks, he just wanted to experiment on a jinchuriki. He reached out to stick the syringe in her neck.

"DON'T TOUCH ME! PLEASE! GO AWAY, STAY AWAY!" She sobbed.

'NARUTO!!!!'

She twisted and jerked as Orochimaru grabbed her chin. She stared fearfully into his yellow eyes. "Why are you scared?" He mused. Naruto whimpered, tears sliding down her face and into her hair. She closed her eyes.

"Go away. Please... Not again, please!" When her eyes opened they were unfocused and in place of Orochimaru was Mizuki. 

"PLEASE! STOP."

She hadn't had a nightmare in two months. Now she was reliving it.

Orochimaru had an inkling of what the cause of her fear was and decided to test it. He walked out of the room and transformed into Tayuya, one of his Sound Four. He walked back in the room.

Naruto was frozen, staring at nothing as her nightmares replayed in her mind. She tried to close the door, not wanting Shikamaru to worry, but failed, her fear and panic getting in the way of her concentration.

Shikamaru weeped at the memory playing in his head. He screamed at the six-armed guard. "HURT HER AND I'LL KILL YOU!. Leave her alone!" His voice lowered to a demonic snarl as Yoru's anger mixed with his. If he could get the chakra seals off...

He spat blood as he was backhanded. "Shut your mouth brat. Tayuya, I think he wants some more of that sword.

Shikamaru closed the door. 

Naruto panted as she blinked, and saw that she was in the stone room. She was okay, unhurt. She twisted her head and saw the red-pink haired girl who'd knocked her out. "Please... I want clothes.. At least underwear...please.." She sobbed.

"Why? No one is going to fuck with you here." Orochimaru disliked the crude language but it was his subordinates' personality.

"Please... I can't... It hurts..."

Naruto's eyes had dulled, and she stared brokenly at the girl. She hated that she was weak like this, and closed her eyes, turning away from the girl. She didn't move as she felt the syringe pierce her neck, and gratefully let the darkness consume her.

Shikamaru panted harshly. His body was littered with cuts and gashes, his clothes were torn, and he hurt. His wrists were chafed from the chains that held his arms above his head. His jaw hurt because that damn six-armed nin liked backhanding him when he got pissed at Tayuya, which was every five minutes. He felt weak and meditated to pass the time.

He looked up as someone entered, and looked away when he saw it was just Orochimaru.

"I just made the mossst interesssting dissscovery Shikamaru-kun. Our little Naruto hasss been damaged. Ssso all of my experimentsss will have to wait! No matter, a new plan hasss come into motion. Jirobu, go get a medic. I don't want him to ssscar too badly. And Tayuya, only reopen the woundsss you've made. It'll hurt him more."

Shikamaru wouldn't scream. Not ever.

Naruto woke up in a more comfortable bed. She had Chakra cuffs on her wrists and ankles, but she could move. her door had a slot where food was likely placed. 'Shika are you okay?'

'Fine. They're torturing me twice a day, but I'll be fine. You do what you can to survive.'

Naruto bit her lip. She stood and began pacing. She backed into a corner when she heard Orochimaru's voice. She looked down and sighed in relief. She was in clothes, though they were a tad revealing,

"Naruto-chan, you're awake. Without your little demonss chakra, that sssedative kept you out for a week."

"Orochimaru." Naruto sneered. "Why capture me and Shika-maru." She quickly added the last half of his name.

"I captured you to experiment on. However, complicationsss have arisssen as I can't put you under for certain experimentsss and you dissslike being disssrobed in front of men. So I have a proposition."

Naruto scowled. "And what would that be?"

"You. My dear, are going to do thingss for me. In exchange, You will be granted your chakra and relative freedom."

Naruto frowned. "I could easily escape."

"Kukuku. Your boyfriend will be dead before you make it to Konoha."

Naruto glared at Orochimaru. "Stop hurting him." She growled.

The Sannin raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think I'm hurting him?"

Naruto's eye narrowed. "I just know. Don't hurt him. If you promise not to hurt him, I'll work for you."

 "Hmmm Okay. I won't kill him. My subordinates need something to occupy them." Naruto snarled, but didn't attack the Sannin.

The seals were removed and she was handed her weapons. The first thing she did was cut her hair to be short and spiky. She willed the red highlights to fade.

'Kurama?'

"Yes, Kit?"

'Don't heal any wounds that don't threaten my life. If Shika is going to have scars, I'm going to be right there with him.'

"...Okay."

Naruto flashed around, cutting down all the failed experiments. It's been four months, and Shikamaru's thoughts were growing weaker. He kept saying he was fine, but she didn't believe him. She missed Konoha, missed her daughter.

Missed her green and blue eyes.

Her precious laugh.

The blond threw up after slitting the last experiment's throat. She had nightmares every night. She hated it here. She'd been trying to find Shikamaru in the large maze that was Orochimaru's hideout, and had so far failed.

She wiped her blade on a nearby corpse's shirt. She was transformed as her male form, refusing to grow her hair out or go back into her normal form until she either died or escaped with Shikamaru.

The Uzumaki walked through the hideout in search of Shikamaru. Every night after her jobs from Orochimaru were done, She'd walk until midnight, looking for her boyfriend. And when she came back without him, she'd cry herself to sleep. Shikamaru's thoughts were subdued and his attempts to comfort her just made her feel worse.

Anko sighed. It'd been almost nine months since the invasion failed and Naruto and Shikamaru went missing. Anbu Kuma claimed to have seen some Oto nin carrying them out of Konoha, but the search parties came up with nothing. Hinari hadn't smiled since, and due to her job, She'd had to hand Hinari over to Yoshino, who was torn up about her son's capture. Shikaku had thrown himself into his duties as Jonin commander and the village was stronger than ever.

Kakashi sighed and put down his book, walking over to his girlfriend. "They're alive Anko. If they were dead We'd have Kyuubi raging across the Nations and my summons would have told me of Yoru's return to the summoning realm."

Anko sighed. "I know but-"

A knocking on the door interrupted her. She opened the door and caught the notepad thrown at her. "What the-"

"Read it!" A sobbing Yoshino said, holding a quiet Hinari. 

Anko flipped through the notepad. There were notes to everyone in Naruto's circle.

Anko,

If you're reading this, I'm assuming Shika and I are MIA KIA  or something. I ask that you be there for Hinari. I wrote this earlier today, while the matches were going. I have a feeling Orochimaru is going to try and kill me, or capture me.  This means Shika is going to be an idiot and try to save me, resulting in him dying or getting captured with me.  Please, be there for Hinari until we can get home, or well, explain to her when she's older how much we love her.

Anko, this is Shikamaru. I don't have much to say other than thank you for helping Naruto when she needed it. You were the female role model for her. We Will make it back alive.

-Shikamaru and Naruto.

 There were notes assigned to Kakashi, Hiruzen, Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, Choji, Asuma, Hinata, Kiba, Yoshino, Shikaku, Jiraiya, Teuchi and Ayame, a Haku, a Zabuza, and Kabuto. Anko handed the notepad to Kakashi, whose eye widened as he read.

Kaka-ni,

Like I've said in all the other letters, I'm writing this just in case. With the knowledge of the invasion, and my bloodline, There's a strong chance I'm going to use up a good deal of chakra transporting the civilians to safety. Shikamaru will likely start taking out enemies, and if he doesn't summon Yoru he still won't have enough chakra to take out Orochimaru. If you're reading this, I'm sorry.... I love you Kaka-nii. Be there for Hinari. Tell her stories of my pranks, of my battles, of her father, and how much we love her.

   Shikamaru here.. I just wanted to thank you for being there for Naru during her pregnancy, and being there to protect her when she was younger. Hopefully, the countermeasures in place will help stop the invasion before Orochimaru does any real damage

-Shikamaru Nara

-Naruto Uzumaki

Kakashi was visibly shaken, and handed the notepad back to Yoshino. "Please make sure everyone reads theirs." He murmured.

Now they new the likelihood of finding Naruto and Shikamaru was greater. But at what cost? The three adults shared a look, before Yoshino left to track down the other people who needed to read their letter.

Naruto coughed as she stood in the middle of a burning village. There was a group of children in the building in front of her, and her mission was to kill everyone in the village. She only killed the hidden shinobi and tried to let as many civilians escape as possible. But now one of the Sound Four were here and she couldn't help them.

She couldn't kill children. She couldn't.

"C'mon Asshole, finish the job!" Kidomaru shouted. Naruto just shook her head, tears flowing freely down her face. To Kidomaru, all that was seen was a teenage boy crying. He spit at the blonde. "Weak." He snarled before disappearing into the building. Naruto fell to her knees, sobbing and holding her empty stomach.

She could hear their screams, and Kidomaru's laughter and curses as they tried to run. A single child, looking to be around four, ran out and behind Naruto. "Save me, Mister! Please!"

Naruto choked on her sobs. She grabbed the child and fled. She placed the child in a tree and scribbled out a note, saying she was going to go ahead and complete the next mission. She took the child and ran, not looking back.

She saved one. She should have saved them all. 

"What's your name?"

"Haruki." The child was sniffling, clinging to Naruto tight. "My sister.." He started crying again. Naruto made a clone to go complete the next mission. A year. That's how long Naruto has been with Orochimaru, killing whoever he wanted her to just so Shikamaru would live another day.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry." Naruto hugged the child and fed him one of her ration bars. She wouldn't leave the boy behind. Not after she sat and let Kidomaru kill his family.

"You-you're a Shinobi, right? Why didn't you save the others? My sister. She was two. Her birthday was tomorrow."

Naruto smiled sadly. "A very bad man has someone I love very much. If I don't do what he says, that person will be killed. I was selfish, and I wish I had saved the other kids. You see, I have a kid, and I haven't seen her in a long time."

Haruki seemed to think about it. "Okay... Can-Can we go back and bury them? An-And can I sta-stay with you? I don't ha-have anyone anymore."

"Okay."

"Thank you Mister..."

"My name is Naruto. I'm a girl, but only you can know ok?"

Haruki nodded, fisting his hand in her kimono top. Naruto shifted Haruki to her back. "Hold on tight okay? We're going to go really fast." She only jumped out of the tree they were in when his little arms tightened around her shoulders. The blonde kept her hands hooked under his legs just in case though.

It wasn't long before the two made it back to the village, which was reduced to charred wood and blackened clay. Naruto walked inside the building that the children were in and retched at the sight of tiny bodies full of holes. She set Haruki down. "Find your sister, we'll bury her first. Okay?"

Haruki shook slighty, but his face was determined to find his sister. He ran off, and Naruto created a dozen clones to help carry the dead children outside and lay them in rows. Another thirty were created to make graves.

There were forty dead children, meaning this was an orphanage. Naruto waited for Haruki, and when he came back with a tiny little girl limp in his arms as he struggled to carry her, she rushed over to help. She helped him set his sister in the grave and let him bury her, while Naruto and her clones started burying the rest.

Haruki tugged on Naruto's hand. "Miss Naruto, When I went to get my sister... I heard crying. I couldn't find where it was from though."

Naruto took Haruki's hand, smoothing out his black hair. "Show me?"

Haruki led the blond upstairs, and Naruto's sensitive ears picked up the sniffles and sobs of children in the walls. "Haruki, sweetie, can you try to call out to them? Some might know you."

Haruki nodded and walked up to the wall. "Hey! It's me Haruki! The bad man is gone, there's a good Shinobi here now!"

Naruto heard a yelp at the initial sound of Haruki's voice, before it became quiet. "Haruki?" The voice was muffled through the wall.

"That's Reima! She's one of the big girls." Haruki said. "Reima? How did you get in the wall?"

There was a sliding sound, and one of the floorboards popped out. A violet eye peeked through. A second later a part of the wall fell and a girl who looked to be around ten walked hesitantly out. Haruki ran up to her and hugged her legs.

"Reima! This is Naruto. He saved me!"

The blonde waved, and the violet-eyed girl hesitantly nodded. Naruto gently asked, "How many are in there?"

"Five. Haido, Kusei, Miko, Kirato, and Yuno."

Naruto carefully took a step forward. "Are you the oldest?"

Reima nodded, her blonde hair bobbing with the motion. "Yes. Naruto-san, where are we going to go?"

Naruto wasn't going to take kids to Orochimaru's hideout, no way. She pulled out one of her maps of the elemental nations. This village was in Kusa, and Konoha was closer than Nami by a few days. She showed Reima the map.

"This is where we are." Naruto pointed to the southeast part of Kusa, where the village was little more than a dot. Reima nodded, listening closely. Naruto traced one of the main paths leading into Hi no Kuni, straight to the main gate of Konoha. "This is the safest place for you. I'll give you some supplies, and a way in. You'll be led to an apartment. I'll write down which one, and a friend of mine will get you situated. I'll come to see you all as soon as I can."

Reima nodded again, and went to coax out the other children. Haido, Kusei, and Yuno were four or five, while Miko and Kirato were seven or eight. Each one was withdrawn, still in shock from earlier events. Naruto gave the map to Reima. Naruto unsealed a backpack and filled it with rations and water. She also slipped in thirty thousand ryo, and unsealed a notepad and began writing.

As soon as she was done she shoved the notepad into the backpack. "Reima. When you get to Konoha, Show the gate guards the note on the first page. Tell them, 'We are under the protection of the fox and shadow.' They'll let you in. Ask a Shinobi for the Rin Complex and go to the second room on the right. Give the purple-haired woman the notepad."

Reima nodded again and took the backpack. Naruto handed each child a kunai. "Only use this to protect yourself. I gave you a lot of Ryo so you can buy food and sleep in hotels, but please, stick together."

The blonde turned to Haruki. "I said you could stay with me, but are you sure you don't want to go with Reima?"

Haruki shook his head. "I want to stay with you." He grabbed her hand, his green eyes holding not even an ounce of doubt.

Naruto sighed. "Okay. Reima, I'll let you choose when to leave, but now would be best. It'll take around a month to reach Konoha, since you are all kids and aren't as strong as grown-ups."

Reima nodded, and Naruto watched them walk away until she could no longer see them. She turned to Haruki. "I have to go back to the bad man soon. You can't come with me into his hideout. I'll ask you this. Do you want to be strong like me so you can protect yourself and people you care for?"

Haruki nodded instantly. "Yes! But, if I can't be in the bad man's hideout with you, where will I be?"

"While we travel to my mission, I'm going to train you. By the time we get there, which will take two weeks if I carry you, you should be stronger, if not by much. I'll teach you the basics of chakra, and help you unlock yours. Next is tree jumping. You won't learn in order, as I'm going to teach you what you need to know right now. Now, climb on, tonight we'll start."

Haruki nodded and climbed onto Naruto's back. As soon as he was secure, Naruto took off to the south. Her mission was in Mizu, and she was going to go through the southern forests, Those being denser due to the lack of travel.

Shikamaru hung limply from his chains. He had forced himself into a coma to numb himself to the pain of healing and reopening his wounds. He wasn't aware of anything, a vague sense of time passing being all he could feel. He could wake up any second, but he wasn't going to. He kept his mind closed to Naruto's knocking on the door, occasionally cracking it to send an 'I love you', or an, 'I'm still alive.'

He missed Naruto and Hinari. He missed shogi and hanging with his team. He missed training with Hokage-sama, and missed watching the clouds.

He woke suddenly to a burning pain sprouting from his neck. He kept his eyes closed, fighting off the pain and wondering why he could feel chakra. It wasn't his and felt vile, slimy. Without his chakra to battle it, it quickly took root and Shikamaru fell unconscious to nightmares of snakes and death.