This was written as a birthday present for my friend Pheo. It is in a modern AU of the Naruto series. Its just a short scene of a large scheme, but what a scene it is
Happy birthday, again.
The back of the car was unusually stuffy during that fateful ride for Shikamaru. Sitting next to that Hyuuga was bother enough, but when neither of them could stand to look at the other it made the back of the car even more confining.
What was he worried about, then? He completed the stupid 'assignment' that they wanted. Now they could leave him the hell alone and let him get on with his life. If he'd never have to see that Neji or that Baki ever again, it'd be too soon.
If he never had to kill anyone else, it'd be too soon.
The thought of what he had done (brought on by the faint smell of explosives on his clothes) drifted ever near him. And yet he turned his attention to the idea of greeting the head of this organization and politely telling him to bug off. A sharp mind like his own could easily dodge... less appealing thoughts. For the most part, anyways.
Once more his gaze darted to the teen sitting next to him, only to quickly look away when he realized the Hyuuga was looking back at him. Neji turned to the window next to him, before giving a slight snort and pulling the sunglasses back over his eerie eyes.
The car came to a slow stop in front of a building. It was three stories high and looked well kept, with good white paint and a gray roof that had been recently re-shingled.
Baki looked back over to the two in the back seat. Flustered, as always, he seemed to want to say something to them. He didn't get the chance, however, Neji unlocked the door and stepped out.
Shikamaru took this as his cue to follow. As he opened the door on his side, Baki gave him no parting words.
The two teens walked along side each other, Neji in his stiff stride and Shikamaru in his slumping walk. There was a lawn in front of the building, a patch of green in the midst of the noisy Californian city.
Inside, the building was moderately active, with people answering phone calls, filing papers and, near the back as Neji led him on, cleaning money. Obviously the facility held several functions. Finally they came to a hall where a woman sitting at a desk was in the midst of a phone call.
"No, no, no. Minato, no. We are not extending your budget that much. Look, he understands you burn through cars pretty easily, but he doesn't think you need any new Camries. No, its not that he wants you to have 'cheapo' cars, but you've lost four this month already--No. You may NOT use his car. I'm hanging up now. Really. Get off the phone, Minato." Her painted lips parted in a sigh, and she placed the phone back on its receiver. Her dark hair hung in her face for a moment, before she brushed it back with her delicately manicured nails. It was then she finally seemed to notice them.
"Oh. Hello Mr Hyuuga, Mr. Nara." She gave a brief nod, "He's been expecting you, Mr. Nara, so go ahead in."
But before he could Neji grabbed his shoulder, and gestured to the secretary, "This is Ms. Kurenai. She's the boss' secretary."
He opened his mouth to give a half-hearted greeting, but the Hyuuga cut him off, "She knows who you are. Now go on."
The double doors were made of ornate cherry wood and frosted glass, and there was a light coming in from the other side. He shrugged his partner's hand off his shoulder and pushed them open.
The room was calm and well lit, even if it stunk of cigar smoke and musky cologne. The carpet was nice, the wall paper was tasteful and richly colored. Obviously the lair of someone who had money and wanted to demonstrate it. He shut the doors behind himself.
The man he had gone through hell for was waiting at the window, hands folded behind his back. The sunlight came through from the windows, now that the wine colored curtains had been pulled back.
"How has your day been, Shikamaru?" the man spoke, sounding cheery with a roughness in his voice from years of cigarettes and the like.
"I just blew up a warehouse full of people and the partner you assigned me was a useless bastard. But other than that I suppose it's been fine."
Laughter. The man finally turned around, a content smile plastered about his face.
"You haven't changed a bit have you?"
For a moment, just a brief moment, he did not know how to react. It was one of those rare once-in-a-blue-moon type of deals, when Shikamaru Nara was truly caught off guard.
Perhaps he should have expected it, after all these years, meeting the man he had idolized and sought to protect.
Even in his suit, Asuma refused to submit to being clean shaven, his scraggly beard in stark contrast to the silk tie about two inches lower. His hair was styled while still seeming unkept.
"Go ahead. Sit down so we can have a proper talk." He gestured graciously to one of the seats in front of his desk.
Shikamaru... was not inclined to immediately obey.
"So, it was you all along then, trying to get me here?" His voice was flat, unamused and unwelcoming.
As if unaware of the sour feelings behind that tone of voice, Asuma continued to smile, and walked forward.
"I hope you won't hold it against me, Shikamaru. It was a fit of selfishness to send all of those packages to your door, but I really did want to see you again." As always, his voice was smooth, friendly and comforting.
"Why was it so long then, if you wanted to see me so badly?" The reply came a bit too fast to conceal the agitation that had been building ever since he had been approached by one of the mafia's 'agents'. And at that, Asuma's smile finally faltered.
"I didn't want to interfere in your life while you were growing up. You were young back then, Shikamaru, and I'm, well..." He gestured to the room around him, "occupied in a field that isn't meant for kids."
The two of them fell silent, before Shikamaru finally approached, and settled down in one of the chairs before the desk. And Asuma stared back at him, with a mellow expression on his face, before moving to retrieve some papers from a drawer.
"I have been keeping a close eye on you, however…" he spoke, flipping through what Shikamaru could only guess were test grades, reports from his agents and the like, "You've grown into a very remarkable young man." A hesitant smile appeared, only to be shot down by the teen's silent reply.
"I suppose you just want to know why I've started meddling in your life again. You see, I'm the leader of this unnamed organization and I have considered you for a while now to be… my apprentice of sorts. That's why I put you through this. I want you working for me." A pause, and Asuma breathed in a half sigh, "I really must ask you to think about it."
In a dull sort of reply, Shikamaru leaned back in his seat, tilting his head up to look at the ceiling, "Fine. I'll work for you."
And the man seemed taken aback. "Funny. I heard you were only coming here to tell me to bugger off, so to speak."
"That was until I stepped into your room." The teen mumbled, without looking at the other, "…I still remember what brand of cigarettes you smoke, and apparently you still favor them."
Casually, Asuma gave a shrug, "Well, you know. I'm a man of habit."
Silence held the air for sometime, both of them staring off away from each other, each remembering those contented moments together so long ago.
Its really nice to see you again, Shikamaru.
Its about time you finally came back to see me, Asuma.
The tuxedoed man clapped his hands together in enthusiasm, "Well then, we have work to do. Tell me, Shika, what are you looking for in a future partner in arms, so to speak?"
Snapping out of his reverie; Shikamaru raised a slim eyebrow, "A future partner?"
"Well you said yours was a useless bastard. How about a replacement?"
Looking over his shoulder, Shikamaru stared at the two figures through the frosted glass of the door. Neji Hyuuga. A bastard. Brighter than he originally thought. Somewhat creepy. Stiff lipped but with hidden aggression. … and decent aim with those two firearms he had.
"My current partner is good enough. You don't need to replace him."
Asuma took that decision in stride, "If you say so. In the mean time I'll arrange a place for you to stay. Can you drive?"
A shrug, "No. Not really."
"I'll get you a man to drive you around," Asuma started bringing all sorts of papers from his desk, filling some out and filing some away, "How do you feel about an apartment west of here?"
"That'd be okay."
"Alrighty then."
There was more silence as the man worked, setting things up so his new apprentice would be comfortable and—as far as people working in the mafia could be—safe.
"Hey, Asuma."
"Yeah?" he looked up from his papers, a smile on his face.
He shot his gaze at the wall, as if asking what was on his mind bothered him, "Could we maybe go to the park around here, sometime?"
At that, Asuma stopped writing, "Oh sure, sure. I just need to finish things up here. We can go later."
"Later, then." The teen nodded.
"Go ahead and go tell your partner what's up. I'll have a chauffeur take you to your new place soon."
Grudgingly, Shikamaru drew up from his seat, standing in front of the desk. In an instinctive gesture, he gave some respectful bow. In another once-in-a-blue moon moment, he was caught off guard as Asuma put an arm around his shoulders, drawing his face close to his own.
"I really missed you, kid." He smirked, letting their foreheads and noses touch in their proximity. "Take care of yourself."
As he was released, Shikamaru took a step back, before turning around. It was only then he allowed the waiting smile to creep over his face. With a last wave to signal his departure, he opened the double doors and stepped outside.
The voluptuous Ms. Kurenai was in the midst of yet another phone call.
"No, Minato, Kushina did not call here. Why would she? What about your cell phone? What do you mean your son has it? … quite the little pickpocket, then."
Neji looked up as he left the room, his face in a scowl as always.
"So, are you going to go home now?"
"No." Shikamaru walked up to him, half returning the scowl. "And we still working together, by the way."
The stoic façade faltered for a moment, and Neji's scowl deepened. "Mister Sarutobi actually stuck us together?"
"No. I just figured you were good enough to have around." He replied, before beginning to walk down the hallway.
The Hyuuga made a sound of confusion coming from the back of his throat before Shikamaru heard his footsteps following after him. "So, you're calling the shots now?" The other teen's question was rife with sour sarcasm, and Shikamaru knew better than to answer it.
"Let's go." He muttered, leading the way out of the building.
They had a long ways ahead of them.