The smoke curled in the air, lazily twisting before fading into the darkness. Shikamaru stubbed the cigarette out before slipping out another one and lighting it with a practised flick of the lighter. There were stubs littering his desk, illuminated by one lone candlelight.
The shinobi temporarily lifted his eyes from the paperwork in front of him and closed them. He couldn't quite remember the last time he did that.
Asuma left so much work to do...
Shikamaru found his mind wandering...
(The boy couldn't do anything except look on in useless shock as his teacher fell down, down, down to the ground. It was as if time had stopped.)
He had recently requested to take over all of his teacher's duties on top of his own (if anyone could do it, it would be him). Tsunade had looked at him in surprise but finally agreed upon seeing the determined expression on his face. Shikamaru hadn't slept in a few days, he couldn't when there was always something that needed doing.
I promised him I wouldn't slack off...
He promised a lot of things.
("I won't live that troublesome life where I don't finish what I started." He had said, it was a promise to Asuma as much as it was to himself.)
The letters and numbers were starting to merge together in a muddle of ink, and shadows danced under the candlelight in a hypnotising manner. His body was protesting for rest but he wouldn't concede. Refused to yield.
How can I protect his child when I can't even deal with paperwork?
He found himself thinking of an immortal trapped within the earth.
(Shikamaru flicked the cigarette into the pit and ignited the explosion talismans. He watched impassively as Hidan cursed him whilst hurtling downwards, the akatsuki's body disintegrating before the Konohan's eyes.)
Shikamaru shook his head slowly. For some reason, tonight his head was full of memories. Suddenly the lights blinked on in the small office and Shikamaru realised with a start that there was someone standing in front of him. The cigarette fell from his mouth as he fumbled with some jutsu movements.
"It's me." came a familiar tone. The shinobi relaxed at the sound of Temari's voice.
"Temari," he said with a wan smile, "It's been a while...is this about not showing you around this time?"
He took out another cigarette and begun lighting it, his movements were sluggish, as if drunk.
"Because I'm really busy at the moment and-" he continued before the Sunan plucked the cigarette out of his mouth and threw it in the bin. Shikamaru blinked and automatically took out another one, she easily flicked that away as well. Then for good measure the kunoichi deftly slipped his cigarette packet out of his hands and out of his reach.
What the?
He glared at her, "What the hell woman? That's mine!"
"You look like shit. These are not helping." She said simply.
"They help me concentrate!"
"You're getting addicted," she said firmly, "I've left it alone, but this is going beyond a homage." The kunoichi crushed the packet in her hands, "You are going too far."
He growled at her, "Those were my teacher's cigarettes." That was a lie, he kept those packed safely away.
"No they're not, you would've finished those ages ago." She replied, "I've seen you smoke through a whole pack in one meeting, and I've only arrived last week."
This woman will be the death of me...
"Fine! Whatever!" he sighed, "I won't smoke tonight, now will you leave me alone? I have work to do."
I have another pack hidden somewhere...
"Nope," she said and wrinkled her nose, "You stink. Go home and shower." Temari appeared to think for a while before adding, "And go to sleep."
Is she actually deaf?
"Did you not hear me?" He said irritably, "I've got work and last time I've checked you aren't my mother."
Temari merely picked up a piece of paper and gave it a glance. "None of this stuff is actually urgent, and your mother is worried about you." the Sunan flipped the sheet dismissively back on the table. "She doesn't know how to deal with you trying to work yourself to death. You leafs are too soft on your kids."
"She's just happy her lazy son is actually working hard for once." He retorted, "I should know my mother, deal with your own parents."
"Would love to," Temari replied, "But they're dead. I'm sure I told you this before."
He was made silent at this and finally looked into her eyes. Temari's expression showed annoyance as per usual when it came to him, but there was a tinge of worry there. For a moment they only looked at each other.
"Shikamaru." Temari's voice sounded surprisingly gentle, "I heard about what happened, about Asuma san and the Akatsuki. Everyone has."
Of course she would know.
"Then you also know that I have avenged him last month." He said, staring defiantly into her teal eyes, "I'm not having a breakdown Temari, I've had my emotion training by now."
"Then what is this about?" Temari snapped as she slammed her hand onto the paperwork and Shikamaru jumped slightly, "I've walked past this building every night and this room is always lit up, you've got darker circles under your eyes than my brother and everyone I've talked to says that you're either holed up in here or on a mission!"
"I've just started putting in more effort. You know, like everyone has been asking of me!"
Asuma expected things out of me!
He clenched his hands restlessly, he really needed a smoke.
He never said it but I always knew...
Temari snorted, "I can't believe I'm saying this to you of all people, but this is beyond putting in a little more effort Shikamaru, way beyond."
Shikamaru exploded.
"He entrusted me with this! He asked me to protect the future generation with the will of fire and that's what I'm going to do!"
You don't get it!
"I can't be a child forever, I can't waste this brain of mine on games anymore!"
"So you're going to burn yourself out now instead and end up dying in some mission somewhere because you were too stupid to sleep?" Temari retorted, "Idiot."
"What do you want from me?" the shinobi muttered darkly, he was tired of this, and just generally tired, "When I was lazy you complained all the time and now you're saying I'm too hard working? What do you expect me to do, huh?"
"What I expect, idiot," she snapped, "Is for you to make use of these so called bonds that you leaf shinobi rave about all the time, and depend on your damn comrades!"
Shikamaru's eyes widened, the kunoichi looked downright frightening and his heart was beating like mad. Her words seemed to slap him in the face.
How does she always do that?
"We sand people never need to talk about it, because in our guts we know. We know we can depend on each other." Temari stabbed a finger into his chest, "Yet you guys go on about having ties to each other and other mushy stuff all the time. So show it. Don't try and do everything yourself!"
She then shoved a small paper bag in Shikamaru's hand. He looked up at her in confusion.
"Pork buns. Still hot. Eat it you fool!" Temari growled.
The kunoichi put down another package, a bit more gently this time, on the desk in front of him.
"Hot matcha tea. Drink it idiot!" She snapped. "And go home immediately after this. Don't worry your mother you fool!"
The bag was wonderfully warm and Shikamaru suddenly felt as if a tightly wounded dial in him was slowly unravelling.
"You said "fool" twice." was all he could think of saying.
"You need telling twice." she huffed, before turning her back on him and stepping towards the door.
"I'm leaving now. But seriously, go home!"
"Temari?" Shikamaru called out, he could feel his eyelids getting heavier.
"What?" she asked irritably, turning towards him.
"Thanks." The shinobi yawned.
He had the briefest glimpse of the complicated expression on Temari's face before sleep overcame him.
Gonna start writing on the bottom only instead, exciting times.
I've never been convinced with Shikamaru automatically becoming completely awesome after a bit of crying, so I did think it's possible that he went a bit far with the whole inheriting the future role at first. I think I'm going to rewrite the last chapter, because I feel this one flows much better and I like it so much more.
There are quite a few things I want to change and I'm finding it extremely tricky to write the war bit. It didn't help that I found those chapters so boring. To me it was literally: waves of people go swarm that dude! Now other wave of people! Bah you're all useless let a main character smash them!
Where are the tactics? The one on one fights characteristic of ninjas that wasnt just about who has the largest energy ball or whatever? I want fights with underdogs in it to surprise me like with Shikamaru and Temari!
Anyways please let me know your thoughts.