A/N: I was planning on getting this up sooner than this, but I ended up out all day yesterday with some friends in a last-minute adventure. But today I am in all day because of bad weather. It's definitely the type of day for hot chocolate and cozy blankets and pajamas. If I had a lawn chair, I would debate sitting out on the balcony to watch the rain but there's some wind too rn and I would still end up wet. With that thought in mind, if you're in the path of Hurricane Ida, stay safe! I'm on the side that'll get lots of rain but not getting a direct hit.

Yochan123 made a comment about Shikamaru not being tested with taijutsu. I was rereading that and decided that it was a little silly. Keep in mind that I started to write this story about four years ago lol. At some point, I will go back and rewrite the first two chapters, fixing any grammar errors because there are some, and then I may tweak a few things like that. I will let ya'll know when that happens.

I will put some more info about this chapter and the next at the end of the chapter.

After a few weeks of D ranks…

"I swear sensei, if I have to chase this dumb cat one more time, I will quit being a shinobi."

Kakashi smiled behind his mask as he watched Shikamaru wrestle with Tora. There were scratch marks all over Shikamaru's exposed arms and face, and the cat was not really caring for the way the small figure tried to hold it.

"Well, he probably doesn't like you because you smell like my dogs."

Shikamaru hmphed. "I much prefer dogs over any type of feline thank you very much."

"Well, you are in luck then, because I am very much so a dog person. Pakkun would be proud of you."

Shikamaru was beyond listening at this point though as Tora finally wrestled away from him and the kid resorted to grabbing the cat's tail. Kakashi's eye widened, and then he winced in sympathy as the cat retaliated.

Maybe next time they'd get a different D rank…

A few D ranks later, no cats at all…

"Isn't this much better than chasing cats?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes as he applied another layer of white paint to the fence in front of him. Kakashi was sitting under a tree a few feet away, flipping through his book.

"Of course you would think that, you're not doing anything."

Kakashi shrugged. "You have it well handled. I feel like you could work as a painter if shinobi life doesn't end up suiting you."

"My mom would have a thing or two to say about that," Shikamaru grumbled under his breath.

"Maa, what about the whole quitting thing you were going to do the other day?"

Shikamaru flicked some paint in Kakashi's direction.

"Hey, don't get my book messed up!" his lazy sensei said, curling protectively over his abominable book.

"I said I would quit if I had to track that cat again. Three times in one week was enough for me. You would think that his owner would get the hint that the thing didn't like her."

"Now, now, don't be dissing the civilians. They try their best."

"Hn."

Shikamaru worked in silence for a moment, and realized that Kakashi had started to doze, his book laying abandoned in his lap. He briefly considered stealing it, but decided that he might die if that happened.

Another thought entered his mind though, and Shikamaru smirked.

About a half hour had gone by when a passing shinobi that Shikamaru had never seen before stopped and yelled a hello to Kakashi. His jonin instructor opened his one eye and stretched looking over at the person on the sidewalk.

"Genma, hi."

Genma smiled, and waved, and then gave a snort. "You're looking rather…cheerful today."

Kakashi's eyebrow furrowed. "I am?"

"Yes. In fact, that smile is rather blinding." Genma turned and gave a small wink in Shikamaru's direction. "Anyways, I just thought I'd congratulate you on such a smile. It's soooo rare to see."

Genma sunshined away, and Kakashi quickly felt for his mask. Shikamaru continued to paint, trying to act nonchalant, but he was keeping one eye on his sensei. It only took a moment for Kakashi to realize that his mask had a large white smile on the front.

"Oh, it's on."

It took less than five minutes for all of the paint Shikamaru had left to be splattered all over him and all over his sensei. It would be so much harder to get off than mud, but the interaction between him and his sensei was one of the best moments he'd had all week.

Sensei and apprentice both had on shit eating grins – Kakashi's painted on, but also wide under his mask – when the Sandaime looked on, shaking his head after getting the complaint of an unfinished fence and unruly conduct.

Two months later…

It was splattered everywhere. All over him and his sensei. For some silly reason in the back of Shikamaru's mind, all he could think of was the simple D rank where they had ended up in a paint fight.

But this time, it wasn't the blinding white.

It was a crimson red.

Shikamaru knew he was hyperventilating. He knew this. But he didn't know how to stop.

How much blood was his?

How much belonged to his sensei?

Shikamaru fell to his knees, his legs shaking too much to hold him anymore. Kakashi was laying a few feet in front of him, unmoving.

"C'mon Shikamaru. Move!"

The hysterical part inside him wanted to giggle at himself motivating himself. But Shikamaru didn't laugh. He wanted to cry.

He started to crawl, and then stopped. The missing nin that he'd just killed. He was right there.

I just killed him.

It was just a C rank. Only a C rank. And just one of those because they were outside the village.

His dead eyes were looking at nothing, and he was in the way of getting to Kashi-sensei.

The smell of copper was overwhelming.

Shikamaru threw up.

That was all it took and then floodgates opened.

He'd killed a man.

He looked to his right hand, coated in blood from the tips of his fingers all the way to his shoulder.

He had killed a man.

Later, he wasn't sure how he had managed to make it to Kakashi's side. The brutal fight from only minutes before felt like hours before.

What do I do what do I do what do I do –

Shikamaru knew that he needed to do something quickly. If he didn't, then he'd pass out and who knew who would find them, or what might happen. Kakashi might die.

He might already be dead.

"No!" Shikamaru would not think that.

He reached forward, trying to quell his nausea, and pulled a soldier pill out of one of the pouches on Kakashi's front. He only knew that it was there because one day Kakashi had gone through his vest and explained where he kept things in case of emergency. It was just a simple lesson.

Now, it might save their lives.

He knew with how small he was, and how low his chakra was as a result in addition to chakra drain already, that what he was doing was incredibly dangerous. There were black spots swimming in his vision. But Shikamaru knew that there was no other way to do this. Shuddering, and swallowing bile, he popped the pill into his mouth and then dipped his thumb into some of the blood pooling around Kakashi's body.

He'd seen his sensei perform the hand signs several times. He knew that technically he wasn't on the contract, but the theory would still work with the right hand movements and the blood, right?

Shikamaru had instantly felt the effects of the pill, and after performing the summoning, immediately felt the drain. But he let a small sob of relief out as Pakkun appeared in a poof of smoke in front of him.

"Wha-pup?! Kid! What happened?"

Shikamaru shuddered. "Kashi-sensei—"

And then he knew no more.

One week later…

Hiruzen sighed as Kakashi's eye opened and the fog slowly cleared. He had asked the doctors to let him know as soon as the silver haired shinobi was showing signs of consciousness.

"Hokage-sama…

Kakashi glanced around the room, his brow furrowed. And then his eye widened. He started to sit up.

"Shikamaru! The mission! The missing nins!"

Hiruzen put his hand down on Kakashi's shoulder.

"He's here. He's alive."

Kakashi stilled, eye wide. "But?"

The third Hokage sighed, his eyes briefly closing.

"He's comatose. Severe chakra exhaustion. He took a soldier pill, Kakashi, and his body couldn't handle it."

Kakashi's eye widened even further. "Tell me!"

Another two weeks later…

Kakashi was sitting on the roof of his apartment. He heard his student before he saw him. He had debated just moving so that Shikamaru didn't have to climb. By all rights, the boy should still have been on bed rest. He'd woken a few days after himself. Kakashi had been released from the hospital after a week, and even though he hadn't seen the boy conscious, he knew that Shikamaru was only a few days released himself. They were both on leave from duty.

Kakashi hadn't seen Shikamaru more than once. He hadn't wanted to. He had only seen Shikaku once. And they hadn't talked. He'd been at his son's bedside when he had poked his head in, and the feeling of failure that filled Kakashi was so much he had left and not returned.

He was honestly hoping that Shikamaru would stop what he was doing and give up. Maybe that was why he hadn't moved yet.

But his student, (was he still his student? Kakashi wasn't sure he should keep him. Wasn't sure if he should keep him) was determined. Without being able to use chakra, he had managed to climb up the drain on the side his building, and pull himself up onto the roof. Kakashi still didn't look. A moment later, he felt a weight settle at his side. They sat in silence for a minute.

"You didn't come."

Kakashi felt the stone of guilt in his stomach get heavier.

"I woke up, and I thought you were dead."

Kakashi's eye widened, and he finally looked down. Shikamaru's hair was up and tied in his normal pineapple style ponytail. But the hair itself seemed limp, and there were dark circles under the boy's eyes. There was a fading bruise on his cheek, and a still angry line where a kunai had cut under that extended from under Shikamaru's chin up past the side of his mouth and toward his ear. Hiruzen had told him that it wouldn't be a severe scar – Shikamaru just had to go in for a few more appointments and it would be almost completely gone. But it had been worse. So much worse. It had been a bad wound, and when he'd questioned Pakkun, he had told Kakashi that the child (because damn it that was what Shikamaru was) hadn't seemed to be aware of how much blood had been gushing out of the wound on the side of his face when he'd collapsed before Pakkun had gotten help.

Shikamaru shifted and met Kakashi's one eye. Tears welled in the dark orbs.

"I thought you were dead. And then you weren't there. I thought I'd done something wrong. And you didn't want to see me."

Kakashi shifted so he was fully facing Shikamaru.

"I can't sleep. Because all I can see was him stabbing you. And then you were bleeding and it was everywhere." The tears overflowed and streamed down bruised and scarred cheeks.

Kakashi opened his mouth to say something, but didn't have time to before Shikamaru slammed into him and tiny arms wrapped themselves around him. "Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry!"

And something happened that hadn't happened since the night his father had killed himself.

Kakashi wept.

Not Obito, but Kakashi.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's not your fault. It's mine." Kakashi pulled his mask down as the tears streamed down his face, and he gathered Shikamaru into his arms. "I'm here. And I'm so sorry."

Below…

Shikamaru wasn't sleeping. And Shikaku knew Kakashi probably wasn't either. He had carried the boy over here to talk to him, and watched as he'd managed to climb the drain pipe to the roof. He'd almost carried him up, but one look at his son's face had stopped him.

They were children. Both of them. And they needed each other more than they needed anyone else right now. And his heart broke as he listened to the broken apologies from above.

Oh Kakashi. What has this village done to you? What will they continue to do to my son?

Six months later…

"Happy Birthday!"

Kakashi blinked. "Huh?"

"Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday…"

Kakashi did some mental calculations. "Oh, I suppose I am 23 now…"

Shikamaru handed him a wrapped gift. Kakashi stared at it suspiciously.

"Geez, it's not gonna blow up or anything. That's what happens when you give gifts."

Kakashi put his mug down and tentatively pulled the wrapping off the side of the box.

"Oh." He blinked. "It's a chess set."

Shikamaru nodded. "You mentioned that you liked chess more than shogi, and I've never learned how to play. I also figured it was something else to keep in this dusty old place."

Kakashi feigned offence. "My apartment is not a dusty old place."

Shikamaru stuck out his tongue. Kakashi's eyes were drawn to the faded line across the boy's face, but he quickly shook himself.

"I'm not sure where to set it up unless it's permanently at the table here."

Shikamaru smiled. "That's why mom said we were going to go shopping later."

Kakashi blanched and sweat dropped. "Uh, what?"

Shikamaru cackled. "You know there's no saying no to her. Dad helped me pick out the chess set but Mom said that it was a shame you didn't have a better furniture setup in here. So she said we were gonna shop. And we do not say no to my mother."

Oh, Kakashi knew that.

Very well.

Sighing, he got up, and smiled. "Well then, we'd better hurry up and meet her."

As per his habit, Kakashi quickly went to wash his mug in the sink. Shikamaru walked over and handed him his. The two mugs went side by side in the cupboard, right next to the other two sets of dishes Kakashi now had in his apartment.

A/N 2: I was going to put more into this chapter by the way of snippets on the road to getting things in line for starting with the other characters getting put onto teams etc. But I got carried away with the middle part. I will not expound more on that bit in this story—the main purpose of this story is to follow canon with this twist of Shikamaru and Kakashi. But I will be, at some point, expounding on what was going on with the fight etc. that led to the C rank and missing nins that'll end up in a side story multi chapter fic. I also have a side story idea that'll get thrown into the next chapter as well. When they do get written, they will be titled as part of the "Shadow verse" and I will let everyone know in the beginning of a chapter when they are posted.

Next chapter will be less angst but still some suspense, more bonding, and the introduction of Naruto.

Thanks for the reviews! Leaving more would be cool!