8This is the Darkness Over Me
Nara's never got furious; they never show that much emotion. That is what Sakura was told until an ambush on a mission proves her wrong.
Tags: feral Shikamaru Nara, furious Shikamaru Nara, hurt Naruto Uzumaki, shadows are terrifying and under used in this universe, Naruto is the sunlight to Shikamaru's Shadow
Chapter 2
Shikamaru knew he was asleep, unconscious whatever you wanted to call it. He knew it somehow, but yet he was awake and aware at the same time. The world around him was as dark as the Shadows his clan wielded, yet Shikamaru had never felt more comfortable in his life. Shikamaru basked in the presence of the Shadows around him and allowed himself to float in it for a little while.
The outside world slowly began to intrude in this world of Shadows Shikamaru was content to dwell in. Shikamaru noticed a hand in his first, an odd weight but not an unwelcome one. Shikamaru soon found himself squinting as a bright light burst into being in the Realm of Shadows. Shikamaru raised his weighted down hand to shield his eyes but found himself lowering it almost instantly when he realized the light wasn't blinding in the conventional sense.
The light was warm and welcoming like it was trying to embrace Shikamaru in the same way the Shadows had embraced Shikamaru since he first learned his clan's signature Jutsu. It was not blinding and overpowering in the way the sun itself could be, but calm and beckoning.
Shikamaru was torn, the darkness of the Shadows around him felt like home, but the light that had intruded was giving him a sense of belonging. Shikamaru lifted his hand and reached out towards the light, blinking as a band of Shadows spiralled down the length of his arm. It didn't bind the Nara in the way he was expecting; instead, it actually encouraged his arm towards the light. The moment his fingertips went warm with the light, the dark world around Shikamaru dissolved.
Shikamaru's eyes opened to see the sterile ceiling of the hospital in Konoha. The weight on his hand was still present and a soft, steady beeping was echoing in his ears as his heartbeat came from the machine next to his bed.
Shikamaru let his head roll to the side and a faint smile appeared on his lips when he spotted who was holding his hand. Naruto with a white bandage wrapped around his head was asleep in the chair next to his bed, his arm stretched out and his fingers curled tightly around Shikamaru's.
Seeing the blond alive and well-settled something deep inside of Shikamaru, settling something he hadn't even noticed was uneasy.
"Shikamaru," Shikamaru turned his head towards the other side of his bed and he blinked lazily at the sight of his father leaning against the window.
"Dad… What happened?" Shikamaru kept his voice low as not to disturb the sleeping blond.
"You were caught in an ambush, your team made it out fine, thanks to you or so I'm told." Shikaku took a deep breath, never having thought he would need to have this conversation with his son of all Nara's.
"Thanks to me?" Shikamaru didn't believe what his father was saying.
"What do you remember?" Shikaku steadied himself on both his feet by the side of his son's hospital bed.
"Honestly? Nothing, it's just sort of… Darkness." Shikamaru admitted as he used his free hand to rub at his forehead as he tried to think back on the ambush but still came up with nothing but darkness.
"I've told you the stories of our Clan and our relationship to the Shadows we wield," Shikaku started slowly, he had been afraid that Shikamaru may have remembered what happened and a part of him was relieved that his son didn't.
"You have," Shikamaru said slowly, suddenly feeling like he was missing something, something big and his skin itched.
"I have not told you the whole truth of our relationship with Shadows as I had prayed it would not apply to you. However, the Shadows have selected you." Shikaku said quietly, giving an odd look to the slumbering blond but somehow that look made Shikamaru peel his lips back in a silent snarl as everything inside of him lit up with fury.
Shikamaru blinked and sank back into the pillows when he caught himself, silent confusion and horror at the rage he had felt towards his father. All because Shikaku had looked at Naruto wrong.
"You're starting to notice changes in yourself," Shikaku did not miss his son's reaction and pride surged in his chest as he watched as Shikamaru forced the rage of the Shadows back.
"What's happening to me Dad?" Shikamaru whispered as he clenched his fingers tighter around Naruto's fingers, somehow feeling more centred and himself with the blond's hand in his.
"Every odd generation or so a Nara is chosen. Chosen by the Shadows we wield to be their favourite. Their favourite wields more power and control over the Shadows than any other Nara." Shikaku sat down on the other chair in the room and leaned down with his elbows on his knees as he studied his son as he talked.
"The Shadows chose me?" Shikamaru was rarely shocked, but this was something he never could have planned for.
"Yes, they reacted to your inner desire to protect someone precious to you." Shikaku did smile at this, he never thought his son would choose Minato and Kushina's son, but he would support his son in whatever he chose.
"Someone precious huh?" Shikamaru murmured as his eyes strayed over to Naruto who was still sleeping peacefully.
"Every Nara who has been chosen always has someone they chose as their sun, as their grounding point. Even before the Shadows choose you as their favourite you had chosen Naruto as your sun and when he was hurt during the ambush you lost control and the Shadows selected you." Shikaku had read the mission report from Kakashi and he knew exactly what had triggered his son and the Shadows into action when he read it.
"My sun huh?" Shikamaru mused and a brief smile appeared on his lip when Naruto murmured in his sleep and his fingers tightened around Shikamaru's unconsciously before falling back into stillness.
"Know that your mother and I will support you always," Shikaku spoke honestly and Shikamaru turned his attention back to his father, a light blush dusting his cheeks as he inclined his head in thanks.
"What happens now?" Shikamaru asked would he lose control every time Naruto got hurt? If that was the case then this could be a major problem, as Naruto never strayed from danger.
"You can tell Naruto as your chosen Sun he is allowed to know the impact he has on you. Or you can hide it from him, either way, daily mediation and training is necessary now. If you do not have the strength of will, the Shadows will consume you and turn you into a mindless monster of Shadows that will aim to consume everything in your path… It happened once before in our clan's history and it is not something that any wish to see again." Shikaku explained to his son who was staring at Naruto with a thoughtful look on his face.
"He's had too much hidden from him in his life, I will not hide this from him. He can keep me grounded and I will not become a monster of Shadows and force him to fight me. I won't do that to him." Shikamaru said firmly, looking at his father with determined eyes that now flickered with darkness.
"You are stronger than anyone ever has given you credit for my son, I have no doubt you will conquer the Shadows. Until then, rest." Shikaku placed his hand on his son's head fondly before slouching out of the hospital room.
"…How much of that did you hear?" Shikamaru asked after a minute of silence.
"I'm that obvious huh?" Naruto's voice was shy and quiet as his blue eyes opened.
"I know you Naruto, it wasn't that hard to figure out." Shikamaru teased lightly before looking out the window and twisted the bed sheet between his free fingers.
"You heard what my dad said, about everything… How I can fall into Shadows and become a threat." Shikamaru's voice was low and shaking slightly. He was more affected by the thought of losing control and losing himself.
"I heard, but I also heard how you chose to tell me, how you chose to do everything to prevent that." Naruto's voice was steady to Shikamaru's shaky one and tightened his grip on Shikamaru's hand causing the Nara to look back at him.
"I have darkness sealed inside of me, you're not the only one who could lose control and become a monster," Naruto whispered.
"I know about the Nine-Tails, I have since the Chunin Exams, maybe even before then looking back, but I never brought it up. It wasn't my place." Shikamaru said quietly and Naruto's cerulean eyes snapped up to look at him in shock.
"I… Thank you for still being my friend after finding out." Naruto turned his head to the side to hide his face from the Nara.
"You're still you, nothing will change that," Shikamaru reassured the blond.
"That goes for you too Shikamaru! You may be the Shadow's favourite or whatever, but I'm also your sun and the sun will chase away the darkest of the Shadows, believe it!" Naruto grinned widely at the Nara whose lips turned up into a smile.
"Thank you Naruto," Shikamaru twisted their hands so their fingers could lace together and Naruto's smile only widened and a calm settled over the duo.
Shikaku smiled as he pushed himself off the wall from outside his son's room, shoving his hands into his pockets and walked away knowing his son would be fine as long as the blond was at his side.
