"Shogi is just like life, Shikamaru."

Teacher and student sat on a porch one sun-soaked afternoon, and, like usual, they were playing shogi. That time, however, Asuma's voice had been different from the taunting tones he usually employed to distract his pupil from the fact that his own pieces were again marching in tune with Shikamaru's multi-layered plans.

"Hmmm?" Shikamaru murmured, looking up from the board. Asuma's entire left flank had collapsed in on itself, leaving a perfect trail for Shikamaru's lance to match straight through the corridor towards Asuma's king.

Asuma would close the wall behind it and capture his piece, of course, and grin over his cigarette at Shikamaru as he went on the offensive.

Acting aggressively as Shikamaru's own forces closed together, Asuma wouldn't notice his other lance until it pierced through his king.

That was the course the game was headed down. The course Shikamaru had forced it down. Asuma had never won, nor would he, if Shikamaru had anything to say about it.

"You heard me. Shogi is just life on a board. Sacrifices must be made for the greater good,"

Asuma's gold general fell back a square, completing the defensive maneuver. This was but a feint, as the jounin assumed Shikamaru would hit his lighter defended center, not the heavily armored left.

"And you have to know when to back down. When it's prudent to reallocate your resources to something more important."

Shikamaru's lance was already in place, directly opposing the challenging king. Practiced fingers whispered across the board as the young man plucked a piece from the board. The movement of the knight was slow and deliberate, two forward and one to the right, one l-shaped jump away from the challenging bishop obstructing Shikamaru's own promoted bishop.

"Always back up every plan, no matter how well laid, no matter how guaranteed the outcome."

Shikamaru's opponent frowned as he moved his bishop next to Shikamaru's knight. A neutral position for both pieces, as neither could capture the other from here. But Asuma's bishop had line to Shikamaru's silver general and-

Another slow, deliberate move and a rook was sliding towards Asuma's bishop, capturing it. Shikamaru's trademark scowl lifted slightly as he rasped.

"Check." The scowl lifts into a smirk as Asuma's own lips fall into a frown.

"Damn kid." There, a bishop, with line straight to Asuma's king. "Here I am trying to give you some advice and you aren't even paying attention, just out-maneuvering your poor sense as usual!"

"I'm listening, old man. Shogi is like life. It takes careful maneuvering-blah blah blah. If only life was as easy as moving pieces on a board." Shikamaru's voice was slightly muffled as he leaned half his face on his palm, which in turn rested on his knee.

The game continued in earnest as Shikamaru listened to-or pretended to at least-his sensei's "sage wisdom". He didn't need to continue paying attention, anyways. Every move from here on out was pre-determined an hour ago at the onset of the game.

"Life is JUST like shogi. All your pieces are there for you to maneuver, to move and position wherever you please." Asuma swept his hands over the playing field in example.

"But," Asuma looked up from his field, "to what end?"

"To what...to capture the opponents king. Obviously." Shikamaru's answer sounded a little unsure, which surprised him. His voice was used to only boredom or annoyance, and he felt his words stumble over the trepidation coating his tongue now. The feeling of not grasping the meaning behind his mentor' swords gnawed at his mind.

"In the end, yes. That's true. But is that your first goal in the game?" Asuma eyed Shikamaru levelly.

Taking a second to think, the shadow user closed his eyes. Of course his first goal wasn't to blindly drive his pieces down his field, that was an amateur move. He positioned his pieces, feinting and provoking the first attack.

Opening his eyes, answered. "My first goal is to set myself up in a favorable position, where I have control over the circumstances of the game."

Asuma merely nodded before continuing. "Correct. And this should be your first goal in life: take control of your situation, position your assets and strengths where they'll be best used. Set yourself up in a position so that you can move forward."

That made sense. And it certainly meshed with his own views, both in peace and during battle. Take stock of the situation and go from there.

Nodding, Shikamaru played his turn before waiting for Asuma to continue, both the game and his lecture.

"After you've set up position, what do you do?" Asuma had already given up the game, had known for fifteen minutes that it was over. He was only playing into the lateral thinkers hands.

"After I've set up, I put my plan into motion. I move to take your king." Shikamaru no longer saw the real-life connection. What king was he taking in life? Hell, what position had he set up, either?

Maybe Asuma saw the doubt in Shikamaru's eyes as to the validity of the metaphor,mad he laughed quietly before continuing. "The 'king', in this case, is a goal. A desire. A dream."

Well, that made sense. Set up a plan, a position, and shoot for your goal. No sense in plunging head first for the challenging king without a plan, that only wasted pieces. Neither was it prudent to sit back and let the king come to you, that only left you cornered and helpless.

But...one piece of this admittedly fit metaphor didn't quite mesh. "So, if the pieces are my talents, and he challenging king is my goal, who is my opponent?"

"It could be you, it could be your weaknesses, it could be an actual opponent. Your 'opponenet' is what keeps you from your goal, the king." Asuma smiled. The boy was a tremendous genius, but wisdom came with age and not intelligence.

"But, remember this, Shikamaru. Always protect your own king," The man ground out his cigarette in the already full ashtray to his side and placed his finger on his king, one move away from checkmate. "As this is your most precious resource. Your king is whatever keeps you going, whatever enables you to keep moving and positioning towards your goal. Always protect it with everything you have."

Years later, Shikamaru remembered this game with his late teacher. Smiling softly, he played with the shogi piece in his pocket.

His king, huh?

It had taken a while, but Shikamaru eventually got around to protecting his most precious piece, and it had indeed pushed him to his goal.

"Do you, Shikamaru Nara, take Ino Yamanaka to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Retracting his hand from his pocket, he slipped his hand softly into hers.

"I do."

(A/N overall, I'm pretty pleased with this. It's a bit of headcanon for me, too-that Asuma would get through to each member of his team in a way that they could relate. I'd set this anywhere between post-Chunin Exams and pre-Asuma's death, as it fits just about anywhere chronologically.

This is isn't overly fluffy, and focuses mostly on Shikamaru and Asuma's relationship...I'll write a nice fluffy ShikaIno piece soon, promise!

i did a bit of research on shogi for this one, I think it shows. Also, I know that they wouldn't likely have a western style wedding ceremony, but traditional Japanese weddings were very impersonal and involved painoting the bride head to toe in white paint and having her wear horns. Not exactly the soft, romantic view I was going for here.)