A/N: Welcome back, dear readers & lurkers! It was wonderful hearing from many of you this past week. I'm glad to see you!
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Shikamaru in the Office
The message was succinct: No confirmation of Yamanaka connections. Trail is cold.
Shikamaru tossed the creased square of paper on his desk and threaded his fingers together. Last Saturday, Yamato, Anko, and Aoba had investigated Takahino's apartment. They found correspondence- -dated letters, monetary receipts, other bits and bobs- -and traced the leads to Ame. Ame, as unstable as it was since Pain's death, had continued to suffer and languish after the war. Though Yamato and his team had checked property addresses, bank accounts, names, dates, and witnesses, Ame itself was in such a state of distress, traceable paperwork probably had been lost or destroyed or not kept up to date. Any witnesses were suspicious of outsiders and would resist interviews.
Ame was as he originally suspected: a distraction, but at least he was certain it was.
He jotted a reply: Return to base. Then he folded, sealed, and passed it off to Jinsoku, a quick narrow-shouldered teen, to run it upstairs to the aviary. Their forest hawks would deliver the message with reliable speed. Besides, Shikamaru didn't quite dare trust a Yamanaka Mind Transmission though one communications officer stood aside, prepared for orders. The one Yamanaka he was interested in was in a bolt-hole gods-knew-where in the dense forests of Fire with the top trackers in the village on her heels.
The team should've cornered her and caught her by now. This morning marked day five of Ino's defection (or was it escape?) from Konoha. What was her plan? Lead a merry chase around the whole of the Allied Five Nations and drive him crazy? Or was she the crazy one? Well, outside her usual obnoxious antics. Had her mind broken, trapping her in a delusion or hallucination in which she believed her friends were her enemies? The Yamanaka had strong and stable minds except for when they didn't. And when a Yamanaka went bonkers, the ride was a rough and rocky one for those involved.
No. He couldn't bring himself to believe she had a psychotic break. Ino's mind was sound because according to Sai's frequent reports, she made rational moves to counter the tracking team's efforts. Shikamaru thumbed through the various papers for Sai's most recent message. His neat, embellished handwriting was so distinct because it was unlike anyone else's handwriting. Unlike a regular person's handwriting, in fact, and more like a work of expensive art on a tiny scrap of paper.
Team to Merodichi to await Office orders. Myself separated due unforeseen circumstances. Will assess situation and sit-rep once location confirmed. Visuals of YI and YT confirmed.
His message was in his normal syntax and shorthand. But what was this, Sai? An errant splatter of ink? A character or two not quite formed? A line of characters which slanted a touch to the side? My, my. As Sai wrote the words and performed the jutsu on the paper, little errors became permanent, reflected in the print of the received message, outliers of Sai's precise curves and flourishes.
Sai was a dedicated and experienced officer, so anything short of god-like interference wouldn't separate him from the team. Convenient how the gods acted on this particular mission. In addition, Sai's knowledge of the continent's geography was extensive, so where was he for him to have to confirm his location? The separation seemed to have occurred between Yukagure and Merodichi as the team had determined Ino and Takahino to be hidden among a group of raft people. The visual confirmation of Ino and Takahino were not what caused the separation since the message's composition would be different.
Something had happened to unsettle Sai, to disturb the quiet aura of passivity he exhibited. Sai's last appearance in the Office had been fraught with unspoken information. Information relevant to Ino, perhaps?
"Shikamaru, sir," said Jinsoku. He'd popped into the doorway.
"Hm?"
"A priority envelope from Hinokoku has arrived for Sai."
Hinokoku? Curiosity piqued, Shikamaru gestured at Jinsoku. "Bring it here, please." The envelope was civilian-style but stamped with the costly red seal. The sender had addressed it to the Intelligence Office, but as Sai was out on a mission, Intel had forwarded it to the Office due to the priority stamp. "I'll call you, Jinsoku. You're dismissed, thank you. And close the door."
Jinsoku complied. Shikamaru stared at Sai's message as he fluttered at the moral gray area. Sai had said he waited for a lead in Hinokoku to contact him, and here it is. Life-saving information could be enclosed. To be fair, he'd given it a second thought as he wiggled his finger under the lip of the sealed envelope, but by the time he had a real chance to feel any semblance of guilt, the envelope tore open. Out slid a sheet of stationary folded over once and within the fold, an embossed business card. The letter was brief.
Mr. Sai, I can meet. I have information which will interest you. As the situation is urgent, come to Hinokoku as soon as is convenient. Use the enclosed card for my business & personal addresses. Sincerely, Sakka Maikeru
The business card showed Sakka Maikeru's name and profession, Hinokoku Chronicle Investigative Journalist, with the business address and hours of the Hinokoku Chronicle office. On the flipside of the card, Sakka had jotted a home address. Shikamaru could send an Intelligence officer in Sai's stead to receive the information Sakka had to offer. But Sai already had firsthand experience with Miyazato and Minister Takashita which may prove valuable in a discussion with the journalist. No, it was best to convey the message to Sai and allow him the opportunity to meet with Sakka.
Great. More waiting for information.
He had heard nothing further from Research about the jaguar entity since their update a couple days ago. Their long silence may bode ill- -or should obscure threads be pulled, may turn out to be beneficial. Research usually had a quick turnaround period when given a mission, but not so with this specific topic. They had mentioned a possible religious reference in a sacred tome in a temple in the sticks of Fire, but they had to send out a team since the book couldn't be transported. It had to do with the monks, whatever. Two chuunin from Research were given orders to complete the necessary research with due haste.
Preoccupied with the lack of definitive answers, Shikamaru copied Sakka's business card to a square of paper with additional orders to Sai: If possible meet with contact in Hinokoku ASAP. This was too important to send secondhand, so Shikamaru slipped the orders into his flak jacket. He'd have to wait until Sai relayed his current position before the message could be sent. Once his position was confirmed, Shikamaru would send the message. Konoha forest hawks were intelligent, loyal and fierce creatures, but they still required a direction to search.
A bit fidgety and restless, Shikamaru put a hand into his desk and withdrew a half-finished pack of cigarettes. Outside the office, Jinsoku sat at a station opposite the doorway, within calling distance if Shikamaru needed him. Shikamaru jerked his head to the back stairs; Jinsoku nodded. Should he be needed, he could be found. Plodding along, exhausted from the strain of his week, Shikamaru took the stairs to the roof for fresh air and peace.
Sweet silence. Sweet aloneness. Maybe I can sneak in a nap…
The temperature was warm. Spring had progressed nicely and before long, heat would descend upon Konoha. Clouds puffed across the blue sky. Glad for the break, Shikamaru tapped out one of his cigarettes- -Golden Bats, Master Asuma's preferred brand- -and cupped his hand to light it with his lighter. Soon, he drew in a lungful of wonderful tobacco and nicotine. He contemplated the blue smoke he blew into the air.
What have you gotten yourself into, loudmouth? Where are you?
After a few minutes of vacant cloud-gazing, Shikamaru became aware of a presence near him. He peered around. From behind a sheet metal vent, a head poked out to observe him, the body hidden. The head was large, partially bald, with copious tufts of gray and black hair frizzed out to the ends. Thick, black-rimmed glasses magnified eyes into the size of dinner plates. The little man stared at Shikamaru; Shikamaru stared back.
He waited for his company to introduce himself, ask a question, anything, but a minute or two elapsed in silence. More to staunch the waste on his alone time, Shikamaru broke the silence.
"May I help you?"
The little man frowned. His mouth moved, but Shikamaru couldn't hear him from where he stood. "I'm sorry," he said. "I can't hear you. Can you speak up, please?" What's with this guy?
Eventually, the man stepped out from behind the air conditioning unit. He was short and round, with a rumpled, stained uniform shirt and trousers, and bow legs. He blinked his large eyes like an owl in sudden sunlight. "You're Nara Shikamaru," the man whispered. "The Hokage's Chief Aide."
Shikamaru sucked another puff of his cigarette to fortify himself. "Yes. How may I help you?"
"Nesshinna Dokusha," said the little man. He offered Shikamaru a press badge with his name and photograph. "From Konoha Daily News."
Shikamaru flared chakra into the badge, so the official mark shimmered with iridescence. The badge was legitimate and not forged. "I'm afraid I don't have any information to give to the media." He returned the badge. "I'm sorry for your trouble."
"No, I have information. About Miyazato Seiichi."
"Go on."
"Sai has been on a mission, ne? He came to me less than a week ago to ask for my help." Mr. Nesshinna brushed old crumbs off his shirtfront with a chubby hand and shifted his weight. "I've been to the Intelligence Office and they...sent me here."
"What help did Sai need?"
Mr. Nesshinna stepped closer. The large head swiveled around, but they were alone on the roof. He spoke with an exaggerated whisper. "He was concerned about Miyazato Seiichi's connections in Konoha."
Another contact Sai tapped to seek information about our common enemy. "We should speak in my office."
"Oh, no, no, I can't," Mr. Nesshinna said and backed away hurriedly. "Too many people. I've been trying to nerve myself to meet you for the last day or so, but I could never get past the entrance. I thought maybe I could sneak in unseen from the roof. From here. Looks like I picked the right day."
"Why not send a note?"
"One does not send a note to the Hokage's Chief Aide to tell him what to do." Mr. Nesshinna reached into his hip pouch, withdrawing a sealed scroll to hand to Shikamaru, who took it cautiously. "My research notes on Miyazato's movements. I thought it best to compile the timeline and offer it to you rather than wait."
"Are you sure you won't break Sai's trust by handing me this information?"
Mr. Nesshinna chuckled. He retrieved another crumpled note from his pocket and showed it to Shikamaru. "Not at all. Sai wrote and told me to contact you immediately with my research when it was ready." Sai's distinct handwriting, dated two days ago, did tell Nesshinna to relate any research information to Shikamaru. "I did the best I could, but Miyazato is a stranger to Konoha. Not much is in The Stacks about him."
"I'd like for you to go over the notes together with me and Lord Hokage. We may have questions about the information," said Shikamaru. Mr. Nesshinna was an untapped reservoir of intelligence, especially as Sai called on him as a reliable source. "We may need to send you to the Research or Intelligence Division about your findings."
"More new people? Are you nuts? It'd be impossible for me to speak to them. Besides, I'm just an old guy in a basement," he continued as he edged away from Shikamaru. His voice was high and tight. "The notes are self-explanatory, but if you do require my assistance, ask for me at Konoha Daily News. Please don't send an escort for me. I'm not good with new faces. Send a note and I'll meet you here where it's safe and no one's around."
Beads of perspiration had sprung from Mr. Nesshinna's forehead. Shikamaru decided to have mercy on the poor man's soul. "Well, thank you for sharing your research with us. Anything the Office can do for you today?"
Mr. Nesshinna shook his head, muttered a farewell, and rushed away over the rooftops before Shikamaru could detain him further. That had been...an experience. He stayed on the roof to finish his cigarette, enjoying the sunshine and the temperature and the smoke before he plodded back to his office. He tidied his desk, for the space, and picked at the wax seal of Nesshinna's scroll with his thumbnail. The scroll had fuuinjutsu on it.
After he activated the seal and the poof of smoke cleared, Shikamaru was left with a file similar to the dossier reports from Intelligence. Inside were photocopied articles about Miyazato and his shipping company, photocopies of public records for property purchases and sales, photocopies of legal documents, and receipts for charitable donations. He'd have to study the plethora of documents for shady transactions, but as Miyazato was not a Konoha citizen, the odds were against any legal evidence of wrongdoing. When Yamato and his team reported, he'd have them examine the contents and start tracing leads.
Why our Yamanaka clan? Why target Ino for marriage? Why is she important?
Shikamaru itched to understand the state of affairs in Gold and Jangugakure. Were the rumors of unrest true? Additionally, a contact in Gold, either a diplomat or spy, could identify Miyazato's known associates and dig into the man's history from their end. But with no diplomats and no treaty with the daimyo or the Gorudenkage, an unsanctioned mission into that country would result in war. Either Sasuke or Sai could be trusted to get in and get safely home, but Sasuke was still out of commission with the flu and Sai tramped across the entirety of Fire after Ino.
"You look like your milk is spoiled." Temari's sarcastic inflection came from the door, where she stood with a colorful cloth bag in hand. "I brought lunch. Are you hungry?"
"Starving." Who was he to turn down food? His stomach rumbled as she approached. "Hold on a second."
He straightened the various scattered papers and files into a somewhat neat stack and dumped the whole shebang into the empty bottom drawer on top of his office shogi set. Temari had scooted a chair to the front of his desk. Then she opened the cloth bag and withdrew their lunch- -homemade bento boxes, hot tea in covered cups, and did he catch a whiff of powdered doughnuts? The woman could pull him out of the dumps like no one else. Also, doughnuts were excellent fuel for the brain.
"How's the search going?" she asked as she sat. They handed each other napkins and chopsticks.
"It's going. We haven't heard any word from Sai's team today. I usually get a new message from him by mid-morning at the latest," Shikamaru replied after thanking Temari for the food. "I feel like I should be out in the field, helping the teams to investigate and search for her."
Temari took a bite of rolled omelet. "Hm. You're more useful in the center of everything with everyone coming to you. By the way, I haven't seen Chouji. How's he coping with the situation?"
"I haven't seen him either. This whole mess has me pretty well occupied. I'm sure he's fine."
Her blue-green eyes were steady on him. "You ought to visit him. And Sakura, too, while you're at it. They'd both appreciate a personal update."
"Is that an order, Lady Temari?"
"No," she said in her special way to tell him, yes, it was. "A friendly suggestion."
"Nothing's ever friendly about you."
Temari smacked the back of his hand with her chopsticks. He jerked back. "Ouch! Why?"
"You said it, Nara. Nothing's ever friendly about me." She had a smirk on her face, and he couldn't stop himself from a similar smirk, but damn, his hand stung. "I'm serious. You should visit Chouji and Sakura. They'll be worried about her and want to hear any news from you, even no news."
"I'll work on it today," he muttered, feeling like his mother chastised him. "Any news from your brothers?"
His change in topic had the desired effect, and Temari chatted for a time about Lord Kazekage and Kankuro, who insisted on his misanthropic tendencies. The guy didn't go outside, he didn't date (except the prolonged affair he'd had with Kiba early on), and he didn't think anything was wrong with treating his puppets as though they were sentient beings. At times, Shikamaru worried about Kankuro's sanity.
"Shikamaru? Shikamaru, are you in?" Chouji shuffled his bulk into the small office, but stopped suddenly when he saw Shikamaru wasn't alone. "Oh, I didn't realize you were here, Temari. I'm sorry for the interruption."
"No, don't worry about it. How are you?"
He put a hand to his heart. "To be honest, I'm anxious about Ino. I thought I should tell you," he said, directing his speech to Shikamaru, "I came from the Yamanaka Square. No one's been in contact with Dad, or anyone else in the clan, so I thought I'd drop by and...and find out what news they had and to see if we could help. But when I knocked at the main house, no one answered. I knocked at the other houses, but no one came to their doors. What do you think it means?"
A chill caused the small hairs to lift on his nape. Shikamaru stood, lunch forgotten. "When did you go?"
"Last night, this morning, and a few minutes ago. The whole place felt abandoned."
Coincidence? Shinobi don't believe in coincidences. "Do me a favor, will you? Head over to the Detection Division HQ and check on the Barrier Team. Don't accept anything other than visual confirmation of the Yamanaka assigned to monitor the Sensing Barrier." Shikamaru yanked out two passes from his desk drawer and chakra-stamped it with his official seal. "Take these. You are hereby granted temporary clearance level into the Inner Sanctum of the Detection Division HQ. Temari, you go with Chouji. Tell them the Kazekage wants to implement a Detection Division in Suna and you have questions to ask. You've been sent to ask them."
Chouji and Temari accepted the papers Shikamaru issued them, and without questioning their mission, left to accomplish it. However, Temari shared a look with Shikamaru- -I'll remember this for a later conversation. Sure, fine, whatever. He stuck his head outside his office. Yamanaka Yuji, the on-duty communications officer, stood at attention near the headgear which eased the distress a Yamanaka transmitting jutsu had on their minds. Casually, Shikamaru crossed the Office floor and knocked at Lord Kakashi's door.
"Come in," called Lord Kakashi.
Shikamaru entered. Kakashi was seated at his desk, pen in hand. While Shikamaru closed and locked the door behind him, he spoke the emergency code. "I heard we might have rain later, Lord Hokage. Be sure to close your windows."
Kakashi replied in the most natural manner. "Good thing I remembered my umbrella."
Then Kakashi stood, his hands blurred in a rapid sequence of hand seals, and from under his foot shot lines of flourished kanji. The lines shot sideways and forwards on the floor, climbed the walls, and raced across the ceiling. As it did, Shikamaru felt the charge of chakra encompass the entire inner office as it blipped inside a tidy and impenetrable barrier.
"What's the problem?" Kakashi asked.
"Have you received any reports from the Anbu assigned to the Yamanaka clan or Miyazato?"
Earlier in the week (almost as soon as the Lady Inohime-Miyazato retinue had left), he and Kakashi had assigned a team of Anbu to monitor the inhabitants of Yamanaka Square and a separate team to monitor Miyazato. The teams reported to the Office daily. All reports indicated neither Yamanaka nor Miyazato had completed preparations for travel plans or had stirred from their relative locations, but Lord Kakashi may have kept information from his Chief Aide.
"I have. As of this morning, the Yamanaka remained on the family grounds and hosted Miyazato in the main house. They haven't made any moves."
"Chouji just came from there and said no one was home. He said they were gone last night, as well."
Kakashi raised his eyebrows. "It's unlike our Anbu watchdogs to fail."
So Shikamaru had suspected. "We have to assume the teams have been compromised, and they can't know we know." He closed his eyes and tried to think of a strategy to keep everyone safe. But, unfortunately, to seek clues to the situation required someone to ask questions and go searching about, exposing themselves to untold danger. A jaguar entity which possesses its victim. How? "Any obvious intervention on our part shows our hand. I can deploy another team to sniff out the trails and give us an approximate time of departure."
"And the Detection Division?"
"I've sent Chouji and Temari with special passes to look in on them. My guess is the Yamanaka who were assigned sensing duty will be where they're supposed to be. Their timesheets will be legitimate and will reflect their work hours for the week. Their bases will be covered, Lord Kakashi. We can't determine when Lady Inohime and Mizayato left and we can't find out unless we put a tracking squad on the job."
"They must've found out Ino's location for them to abruptly leave," surmised Kakashi.
"A mind jutsu communication with one of her family could be traceable. But Ino wouldn't risk revealing her location unless it was of the utmost importance. What would she need to know so badly as to give away her position? Was it a mistake? Was it purposeful? Whatever the circumstances, we can safely assume Miyazato and Lady Inohime have Ino in their sights."
Kakashi stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Well, I think I could go for a nice stroll. Get a breath of fresh air after being cooped up in a stuffy office all day."
"Lord Kakashi…"
"Don't worry. I definitely won't head to the Yamanaka Square to poke around."
"At least summon the Hokage Guard Platoon to watch your back, sir."
"Nah." Kakashi's eyes squinted with a casual smile. The barrier around them dispelled, but Shikamaru had not seen Kakashi release the jutsu. "I'll be extra careful. Hokage's promise."
"Lord Hokage, please-"
Futile words evaporated into silence. Kakashi was no longer in the office. Shikamaru struggled a moment with his conscience- -he was torn between sending the elite bodyguards to protect and assist their Hokage and letting Kakashi experience field work for the first time in several years. In the end, Shikamaru zipped his lip. To cause a fuss with the Hokage Guard would serve to draw attention to Kakashi's investigation. Discretion was in order, so Shikamaru composed his face, opened the solid oak door a crack, and slipped through. No one must suspect Lord Hokage was not in. Would he regret the decision later? Yeah, probably.
He announced to the floor Lord Hokage was not to be disturbed for any circumstance, and all urgent reports or situations should be relayed to himself. As this was a common occurrence, no one questioned the announcement. Yuji remained passive, but behind the neutral facial features, was a cunning brain, a brain of a Yamanaka. More and more Shikamaru felt Yuji was a sentinel posted to report the activity in the Office.
Confident he'd bought Kakashi a few hours, Shikamaru returned to his own office and closed the door. He had to think. No. He couldn't 'think'. He had to outthink Ino and an entire clan who his clan had worked with for generations.
Precious little data was available. How was he supposed to formulate a plan on nothing? Unless he forced a move…
Suppose he falsified a sighting of Ino in the country. Make a big production of it for Yuji to report to Lady Inohime or Miyazato. Lure them out of their current plans and put them on the defensive...spread the rumor that Ino was captured and detained in a different village, maybe. Skew their attention from the real Ino to give Sai a chance to report to him or to bring her home. One thing was certain. Shikamaru had to speak to either Ino or Takahino or both before the family got its hands on them.
Time. They needed more time for the Research team, more time for Sai to coordinate with the Hinokoku contact, more time for Yamato and his team to investigate further leads. At his desk, Shikamaru put the tips of his fingers together, closed his eyes, and began to plot his moves.
Once he was satisfied with the logistics of his plan, Shikamaru pulled out Nesshinna's portfolio on Miyazato and began to pore over the contents. Miyazato had gladhanded lots of business contacts in the Five Nations, but Fire was his main focus. As far as the articles were concerned, Miyazato's company, Swift Emperor Shipping, was a safe, reliable, and affordable means for businesses to ship their products overseas. As Water, Fire, Wind, Lightning, Hot Water, and River had seaboards, a fast and reliable shipping service would thrive. It seemed Swift Emperor Shipping was a generational business which Miyazato inherited from his father. In several photographs, Miyazato was with prominent businessmen in Fire, including government officials; Takeshita Isao was one of them, prior to his promotion to Minister of Public Works. What was reported in the newspaper articles about Miyazato's origins was the exact summation of what Shikamaru already knew. The other documents he'd have to have another team investigate.
Shikamaru leaned backwards. What intelligence did they have on Swift Emperor Shipping? What products did the freights ship and was that actually what they shipped? Another rabbit hole to dive down.
A knock at his door. He flipped shut the folder and stuck it in his desk. "Come in!"
Chouji and Temari entered, having returned from the impromptu mission. He had Temari shut the door again, and the three of them sat around Shikamaru's desk. They told him the Detection Division was fully staffed, both day and night shifts, and their timesheets had been punched (and verified) for the previous days. For a moment, he felt deflated and like he hadn't gained any ground. Where are you, loudmouth? Come home soon so I can take it easy.
Then Chouji's nostrils dilated. He fixated a glazed stare at the forgotten cloth bag. "Do I smell powdered sugar? Are there doughnuts?"
Temari laughed and handed the bag to Chouji. "Help yourself."
"Thank you! In the rush, I forgot my usual snacks." Chouji, with no compunction, shoved in his hand to dig out the cardboard box of doughnuts. "You're the best, Temari. You think of everything."
"Flatterer," she said with a teasing smile. "Shikamaru's the one who thinks of everything. So have you?"
"Have I what?" he asked.
"Thought of everything?"
Another knock at the door. "Come in!"
This time it was Jinsoku. "Lord Kakashi would like to see you immediately."
"Got it. Thank you." When Jinsoku exited, Shikamaru fished out Nisshinna's report a second time and rose. "My meeting with Lord Hokage will take a while. Don't wait for me to return."
"I should expect another late night," Temari said. "Typical man, leaving the Kazekage's sister, who is also his girlfriend, out in the cold for the job. The one saving grace is that Ino's your treasured friend, so I can't complain without looking like the asshole."
She talked tough, but she had a soft spot for both Chouji and Ino. "Yeah, yeah. You women aren't worth the trouble. What a drag. How'd I get stuck with an annoying, conceited woman like you anyway?"
"How'd I get stuck with a crybaby slug like you? You ought to shrivel when you cry, but yet you continue to plague me," Temari retorted. Chouji choked on the last doughnut- -but the cough sounded more like a laugh than anything. His epiglottal malfunction caught Temari's attention. "Chouji, do you have dinner plans tonight? I could use company on my lonely, late night vigil."
"I'd be happy to have you over for dinner with my clan," Chouji answered. "Dad makes a mean barbecue. We always have room for one more."
"I'd love it. If you play your cards right, you can steal me away from Shikamaru."
While Chouji spluttered and turned flame-red, Shikamaru sighed. "How annoying."
"Hey," she said as she stood, "a lady's got needs."
Shikamaru quitted the room in sheer disgust. He was flustered enough when he stepped into Lord Kakashi's office to merit a strange look from his superior, but got a handle on his emotions before launching into a review of Nesshinna's report and the plan to trick Miyazato and the rest of the Yamanaka clan into a false lead. Lord Kakashi approved Shikamaru's plan to stall for time, the investigation into documents found in the file, and the investigation into Swift Emperor Shipping. On his end, Lord Kakashi shared with Shikamaru that the trails out of the Yamanaka property were several days old. A secret tunnel extended from the property, under the Great Barrier Wall, and into the surrounding forest; their escape had been flawless. Lord Kakashi ordered Shikamaru to implement his plan as soon as the details were ironed out, which was to say, as soon as humanly possible. Shikamaru had complete authority over the operation.
When Shikamaru left Kakashi's office, Yuji's eyes cut forward and his expectant features didn't quite neutralize fast enough. Shikamaru carried on, business as usual. Starting tomorrow, he thought, we'll set up the board and have ourselves a game.
A/N: And so Shikamaru enters the fray. Please leave some love in the comments and I'll see you again next week!