Six Years Too Long

Chapter 34

"Shikamaru!" Naruto grabs him by the shoulders and gives him a hard shake, feeling a little frantic. "Shikamaru! Wake up, we've gotta--"

Shikamaru's head flops limply, and a horrifying lightbulb pops up over Naruto's head. Realization settles. He gulps.

Shikamaru had said that pain was needed to wake someone from a genjutsu. And Naruto had definitely, definitely felt pain. Like, a lot. Excruciatingly. Nightmare worthy stuff, believe it.

The only issue was that he'd had Kurama to help him with that from the inside. Shikamaru like, for sure didn't. He was still as a corpse. Which meant that Naruto was going to have to...

His eyes seemed to automatically magnetize to the oddly sharp rock laying in the grass to his left. He'd been completely joking about the shiv thing, but beggars can't be choosers. 

A simple slap to the face probably isn't going to do it? Or is it? He's on a time limit. Ball pain doesn't last forever and though this guy is a total loser, he's bound to recover at some point. Naruto would rather not be here when that happens. 

With one hand, Naruto goes for the rock. With the other, he smacks Shikamaru across the face. Hard.

There's not a twitch. His eyelids don't even flutter. Naruto is halfway tempted to check his pulse just to make sure he's still alive. After all, what if the Shikamaru in the genjutsu had just been a weirdly helpful illusion? If Naruto had broken out, why hadn't the entire thing come apart? Was that how that even worked?

He didn't know. All he knew was that they had to get out of here. Shikamaru's body didn't feel cold even despite how damp things were, and Naruto was sure his chest was moving up and down with every breath. Er, partially. He was partially sure it was.

"You little... shit..." A dark voice ground out behind him. Naruto braced himself, sent Shikamaru out a mental apology, and brought the sharpened rock down.

~~~

Kicking the guy in the crotch once? Luck. Sheer luck. Kicking him in the crotch a second time?

This guy was the suckiest kidnapper Naruto had ever seen in his entire life. Literally the worst, and Naruto was once kidnapped by a half-blind homeless man that forgot why he'd taken Naruto in the first place about halfway through. 

The rain starts to pick up again, because apparently the world had decided that Naruto getting a second hit in meant things were going a little too well for him. Shikamaru is a little sluggish, almost dazed as Naruto tugs him through the underbrush and marsh.

He doesn't know how to mask his chakra, but you can bet it'll be the first goddamn thing he learns when he gets home. Shikamaru doesn't seem to know how to either-- or maybe he's just too out of it. Naruto hadn't stabbed him anywhere vital, and the bleeding had already been staunched. 

Thus, Naruto had no idea what was wrong. The only indication he had that they weren't in another genjutsu was that Kurama had stilled in his seal, sending a contended warmness through him that kept him feeling energized and fought off the chill the rain was threatening to bring inward.

He'd thrown some mud at the guy's face for good measure before taking off, and had shoved him hard enough that he fell. The asshole's legs had been weak because he was, again, a total loser. Naruto would know what one looks like, he was subjected to seeing Sasuke's little rat face every single day.

He's not a total Sasuke hater, alright? But also, he is the reason they got kidnapped, and it's not like the Uchiha doesn't snipe back at him! This is their dynamic. Naruto uses all his best insults on him as to not accidentally offend someone who actually matters.

He can think about how he's going to get back at him for all this later. Right now, he and Shikamaru are absolutely running for their lives. Or... sloshing through puddles, rather. And lightly jogging. Shikamaru really can't jump from tree to tree yet, and Naruto wouldn't trust him not to smack his face on a low-hanging branch in the process anyway.