As the elated children scrambled over one another to escape the classroom, Ayumi busied herself with cleaning the blackboard, drawing the eraser over its surface to erase the chalk marks. She then took the erasers and banged them together over the trashcan, watching with satisfaction as white clak dust fluttered down into the receptacle. She stood back slightly, not eager to cover her blue dress in the chalky white dust. She remained silent as she worked, listening to the rhythmic drumming of the rain outside. As she replaced the erasers in their home on the chalkboard, she caught a glimpse of Shikadai standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets. As the child went to step out into the rain, she gasped, rushing over to grab him by the shoulders and hold him back.
"Shikadai! You can't go out like that! You'll catch a cold in this weather," she fretted with her eyebrows knit together in concern. The five-year-old glanced up at her with a surprised an embarrassed expression. The brunette woman glanced out of the front door and into the open yard, where the last remnants of the students were being led away by their parents. "Your father didn't come to get you?" she asked with a small sigh. It was a common occurrence; Shikamaru hardly ever showed up to pick his poor son up from school.
"No. It's okay though, Miss Ayumi. It's not that long of a walk," he replied. Ayumi shook her head insistently, reaching over to a small bin in the corner to remove an umbrella from it.
"Nonsense. As your teacher, I can't allow you to catch a cold on my watch," she mused as she unfolded the umbrella. "Besides, I'm sure he would like to know how you're doing in class. Shall we?" she smiled, holding a hand out expectantly for the young boy to take. Frowning in discomfort, Shikadai reached up to take the teacher's hand, and she securely wrapped her fingers around his own. They walked out of the building together into the yard, the grass squelching underneath their sandals as Ayumi led him past the large tree with the swing and out onto the dirt roads of the Hidden Leaf Village. "Where is your father, Shikadai?" the woman inquired.
"He's probably working in the Konoha Library," he responded. "He's always there, whenever he isn't working with Lord Naruto. He gets so absorbed in his work that he loses track of time." The young boy's voice was wistful, and Ayumi felt sorry for the young child.
"Well then, that's where I'll take you," she decided as they continued down the roads. Due to the inclement weather, there were very little citizens out and about, only the occasional person running down the streets on an important errand. The streets had been reduced to mud with the torrential downpour, and brown water splashed up Ayumi's and Shikadai's legs with every step they took. The young boy frowned with concern, spotted the growing stains on the pretty woman's dress. "Don't worry about it," she reassured him before he could fret. "I can easily clean this- but look at you, you're getting all dirty yourself!" Shikadai glanced down at his legs, which were now covered in mud. "Would you like me to carry you?"
"No way!" he cried indignantly, looking back up at her with a deep frown. "I'm going to be a ninja someday! A little mud won't bother me!" Ayumi giggled at his resolve.
"Sorry I asked," she laughed. "So Shikadai, if you're going to be a ninja someday, why don't you pay attention in my class?" she asked with her eyebrows raised. The young boy flinched, embarrassed to be caught red-handed.
"I just don't see the point in history," he admitted. "It's kind of a drag, you know? I mean, I don't get why it's important to know what all these dead guys did way back when." Shikadai expected the teacher to grow defensive and start lecturing him angrily, but he was surprised to find that she simply cocked her head to the side and pondered over his response.
"I suppose that's a reasonable answer," she decided after a moment of consideration. "You see, Shikadai, we study the past to learn from it," she explained, glancing down at the young boy. As his face descended into confusion, she smiled and continued, "For example, we can learn from our mistakes- that's why we study the Great Ninja Wars. We learn how to treat one another and live in peace, which is very important. In addition, it's important to know where we come from, which is why we study the founding of the village. If we know our past, we can design the future and make it beneficial for everyone. Most importantly, though, history exists to preserve our legacy. One day, the Hidden Leaf Village may not exist. The Land of Fire may not even exist! However, if we are preserved in history, then we will never be forgotten." Shikadai remained silent after the lengthy explanation, absorbing what the young woman had told him.
"I've never thought about it that way before," he said finally, looking up at her with wide blue eyes. "I guess history is pretty important."
"Yes, it is. You don't necessarily have to like it, though. It's not for everyone," Ayumi mused, pulling him around a corner. The rain had picked up, beating down on the umbrella, and she frowned with concern as the weather continued to worsen. A cold, harsh wind blew over them, ruffling Ayumi's dress and leaving the pair shivering with cold as they were drenched with the wind-slung rain. "Perhaps it's a better idea to find shelter for the time being," she suggested, leading him over to a small storefront. She folded her umbrella and propped it against the outer wall, then led the young boy inside. A small bell rang as they entered.
It was a pleasant little restaurant, with small tables arranged neatly throughout the room and a counter on the side for purchasing food and drinks. Loud noises echoed from the kitchen in the back, indicating the employees hard at work. Ayumi led the boy to the counter, putting a hand on her chin as she perused the menu. "Is there anything you would like?" she asked as she swept a dripping lock of her hair from her face.
"I don't have any money," the boy responded sadly.
"You don't need any money. I asked if you wanted something, not if you were going to buy something. I'll happily get you something, Shikadai," she smiled gently down at him. At this, the young boy brightened considerably, and happily picked out a hot drink. Ayumi ordered the same, and the two carried their steaming drinks over to a table and set them down. Shikadai climbed into the large chair, sitting on his knees as he held the ceramic cup and blew at the steam rising from the dark liquid. He took an experimental sip before recoiling, fanning his burnt tongue.
"That's so hot!" he exclaimed. Ayumi laughed at his reaction, continuing to blow on her own drink as she turned to watch the weather outside. Water streamed down the storefront window, making it seem as if they were sitting behind a large waterfall. The gentle drumming of the raindrops on the roof had a relaxing quality, and the pair of them sat in silence as they sipped at their drinks, simply enjoying the atmosphere. By the time they were consuming the last of their drinks, the gentle hum had faded and the window was spotted with leftover raindrops. Ayumi led the child outside to find that the rain had stopped completely.
"Well, would you look at that. That didn't take long, did it?" she smiled as he took her hand once more. She retrieved her umbrella from the storefront, swinging it by her side as they walked down the drying dirt street. More people were walking down the streets now, entering stores and pondering over food stalls as they enjoyed the sun streaming down from the clear, blue sky. The storm rolled away in the distance, covering the dense forests that surrounded the village in its unending rain. Fluffy white clouds had replaced the dark ones, drifting lazily across the sky.
They soon arrived at the Konoha Library, a large structure that hosted a massive collection of books on all subjects. Ayumi had visited the building many times before, having an avid curiosity and a deep-seated love for books and knowledge, but it never ceased to amaze her as she stared up at the giant building. The sky reflected in the rows of windows build into the side, eclipsing the shelves within. Ayumi led the young boy into the building, breathing deeply and enjoying the smell of old paper.
"He should be towards the back," Shikadai explained as he tugged on her arm, picking up his pace as he led her through the many shelves. Colorfully bound books called at Ayumi, and she squashed the urge to descend on them and pore over their knowledge. She was barely paying attention when Shikadai came to a stop and released her hand, tottering over to the man sitting at the table and dutifully studying the volumes of books flipped open around him. He seemed to be decoding some important document, muttering under his breath and scribbling on the papers. "Dad!" Shikadai cried as he ran over to him, and the man jumped in response, thoroughly surprised by the boy's sudden appearance.
"Shikadai? Oh, no. Is it really that late?" Shikamaru frowned as he glanced up from the paper to look at his son, who had climbed into the chair beside him. Shikadai looked just like him, Ayumi thought, with the dark hair pulled into a ponytail and the disinterested expression. Shikamaru's eyes, however, were dark, not blue like Shikadai's. He must have his mother's eyes, she thought. Where is his mother? Ayumi then jumped when the man's eyes landed on her, assessing her.
"H-Hello," she squeaked and bowed slightly. "I'm Ayumi Tachibana, Shikadai's history teacher. I decided to walk him home today because of the weather," she stammered, embarrassed by the man's intense gaze. He regarded her silently for a moment, then stood and walked around the table to stand in front of her, hands in pockets.
"I'm Shikamaru Nara. Thank you for bringing him," he replied, bowing in return. It was quite intimidating to have the man standing in front of her, as he was quite tall compared to herself, and the woman had to look up at him. She didn't have the heart to tell him that she knew exactly who he was, as she had attended school for a time with all of the Konoha Twelve. Not that they remembered her, as she had given up being a ninja very early on.
"It was no trouble at all! I've been meaning to meet you, anyway. I understand that you a very busy man. I'm not interrupting something important, am I?" she answered shyly, glancing around him at the stack of volumes and the half-decoded document. Shikadai had confiscated a piece of paper and was busy doodling on it, his tongue stuck out in concentration. Shikamaru waved a hand dismissively, then gestured with his head for her to walk with him. Before she could respond he began walking through the shelves, and she hurried to keep up with him.
"Is Shikadai in trouble, or something?" he asked her once they had gotten out of earshot.
"Oh, no! Not at all. In fact, he's very well-behaved. A very short attention span, but not disruptive," she explained quickly, waving her hand emphatically. "It's just that I have met with all my other students' parents, and I thought it only right to introduce myself," she explained, bowing once more. "I'm sure you're very busy and I don't want to be a bother. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Nara."
"Shikamaru is fine," he answered awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. The two stood there uncomfortably for another few moments before Ayumi excused herself and quickly left the library. Shikamaru returned to his seat at the table, plopping down with a sigh as he held up the document. His eyes migrated to the window, watching as Ayumi scurried out of the building and continued down the street.
"She's pretty, isn't she dad?" Shikadai commented as he finished up his drawing. He held it up proudly for his father to see. Shikamaru blushed, looking away from the window hastily.
"I wasn't paying that much attention," he mumbled. Shikadai smirked and flipped the paper over to attempt another sketch. It wasn't often his father lied, but Shikadai knew that he wasn't telling the truth this time. He had been staring intently at Ayumi as she left.