Hey all, sorry for the massive gap in updates - but at least another one is out?

I'm trying to do NaNoWriMo with this in mind, so hopefully you'll all get many more chapters soon!

Flopping onto the floor panting and sweating, Shikamaru looked up at the sky. It seemed pretty nice out. The clouds were lazily drifting across the sky. Teasing him with their calm. He'd much rather be on a roof somewhere watching them go by, and maybe having a nap.

"Shikamaru, once more."

Instead, he groaned, working into a sitting position. He was stuck in solo training with his sensei, working his ass off for relatively little praise. Not that he was looking for it.

"Can't we do something else, Sensei?" Shikamaru tried. "I'm exhausted."

Itachi paused, stood above him hardly breaking a sweat. "Like what?"

Momentarily caught off guard, Shikamaru gave his answer some thought. Do nothing would be a bad answer, so… second to that… "Shogi?" he tried.

"Sure. I don't have a set of my own though," Itachi shrugged. "Do you?"

Shikamaru blinked owlishly. Was Itachi serious? "Uh, no, but… I play with my Dad a lot at home, we can just use that set."

Itachi put his hands in his pocket. "Alright. Lead the way."

Even as they walked through the village into the Nara District, Shikamaru was still waiting for the trick. This was… weird. Itachi-sensei had never expressed an interest in anything other than training and that one time he bought flowers from Ino's shop.

They actually got all the way to Shikamaru's house before anyone spoke, and that was because Shikamaru's father, Shikaku, opened the door as Shikamaru tried to open it himself. He and Shikamaru were spitting images of each other about 20 years apart, though Shikaku donned a deer skinned vest over his flack jacket and bore a scar over his right cheek and forehead.

"Oh, Shikamaru… and Uchiha Itachi," Shikaku hummed. "Should I assume my son is in trouble, Sensei?"

"D-Dad!" Shikamaru balked, turning to see Itachi's reaction in horror.

"Oh no, Lord Shikaku," Itachi assured. "Shikamaru just suggested that our training time might be better utilised by testing his tactical skills in a few rounds of Shogi."

Shikaku was still for a moment before scoffing. "Shikamaru. Here's 20,000 Ryo," he said, reaching into his pocket and handing several notes to his confused son, "Give it to Itachi-sensei if he beats you."

"You seem really confident in Shikamaru's ability," Itachi noted.

"Of course. I've played you both on separate occasions. Shikamaru will have you in check before you've realised you can't escape," Shikaku assured. "Anyway, I have to get going. Have fun, help yourself to the fridge." He sidestepped the two and waved a hand in farewell.

"What… the heck..?" Shikamaru blinked, staring after his father with wide eyes.

"Hmm. Interesting," Itachi mused, also looking at Shikaku's back before the man body flickered away. "Are you going to invite me in?"

"Wha-? Uh, yeah. Come on." Flushing Shikamaru made his way inside, removing his sandals and waiting for Itachi to follow suit before leading the way into his home. There were no guest slippers, but Itachi didn't comment and Shikamaru let them along the wooden engawa running the edge of Shikamaru's home. "Dad keeps the Shogi set in the living room. Are you bothered about playing out here on the en?"

"Hmm? No, outside is fine. You have an amazing view," Itachi praised, catching sight of a couple of deer. The Nara's various houses were built near the forests of Konoha, and Shikamaru's being the main household held the best spot for viewing the more tame wildlife in the forest.

Shikamaru frowned, Shogi set in his arms. "I guess. Mostly it's just a drag when an elk wanders off with someone's laundry." He set the board down and opened up two compartments, beginning to set the pieces. "Do you want to go first?"

"I don't mind. We can flip a coin if you like?"

"Urgh, no, that's effort. You can go first." Shikamaru waved a hand dismissively. After a few minutes, he spoke up again. "Whenever you're ready, sensei."

Looking away from the forest to the board, Itachi nodded and slipped to his knees, surveying the board and Shikamaru for a moment before making his opening move, the pieces clacking on the board as he and Shikamaru moved them.

It wasn't until several minutes in that there was a pause as Shikamaru surveyed the board. His hands fell into his lap, cupped and fingertips touching and his eyes closed. Itachi watched patiently, presumably used to people taking their time. Shogi was a relatively slow game after all. Shikamaru was in a bad place on the board. Itachi had taken both rooks and had set his sights on the bishop, intending to bait out Shikamaru's silver general.

He'd been playing defensively before, getting a feel for Itachi's strategy and play style. Any thoughts Itachi might have had about Shikamaru's inexperience likely washed away at the focused, expressionless look Shikamaru had on his face once his deliberation was over. It was simple. The next ten moves were planned and predicted.

Within three moves, Shikamaru had sidestepped Itachi's flank assault and promoted his lance and bishop making Itachi's answers more difficult. Still, it almost seemed like Itachi was now holding back. His fingers hesitated over pieces before moving others instead. The assault of the board from Itachi's side never got as aggressive as Shikamaru predicted it should. Not that it mattered. Shikamaru was going to win.

And win he did, in another five moves.

"You threw that match," Shikamaru noted impassively.

"You'd won a good ten moves previous. I lost the moment you got a dragon horse behind my lines."

Shikamaru blinked and shrugged a shoulder. "You could have scooped you know."

"No, it's fine. I wasn't sure if your focus would last," Itachi answered with an absent air. "And anyway, I'm your sensei. It would be bad if I was a sore loser. Another game?"

"… Sure," Shikamaru replied slowly. They both reached out to reset the pieces.

"That thing you were doing with your hands," Itachi started slowly. "It's not a traditional hand sign…"

"Hmm? Nah, it's just a thing I do sometimes, helps me focus," Shikamaru explained. "Dad says the best way to prepare is to think several steps ahead. I mean, he's not wrong. I can win most Shogi games that aren't against him. But that's 'cause he's thinking further ahead than me."

"It's good advice for ninja as well," Itachi reasoned, opening the game again. "Being ahead of your opponent or target is the best way to minimalize casualties. You can find openings in their guard to slip your teammates through or learn their behaviours and anticipate what to say to get a necessary reaction. Rile them up and take advantage of blind rage for example."

"Yeah, but you have to assess the risks that go with risky moves like that," Shikamaru replied, "like what if they're bluffing?"

The tiles clacked between them and even while talking, Shikamaru was able to stay ahead of Itachi. Match after match they played, Itachi trying various strategies against Shikamaru, backing the boy into a corner he barely managed to escape before starting his own assault.

It was late into the evening before they were disturbed. "Are you two still playing?" Came the voice of Shikaku. "Can't take losing, Itachi-sensei?"

"Actually, he's won a few," Shikamaru commented, frowning at the horrible board layout. His rook could maybe back up the lance if he played the next four turns right, but Itachi's focus looked to be twisting to his bishops. Frowning, he moved the gold general out of range and tried to direct Itachi to where he wanted him on the board.

"But my money's still on the table," Shikaku noted, sitting between his son and Itachi.

"Honestly, I'd forgotten you'd bet," Itachi mumbled, finger to his lips as he thought about his next moves. "Besides, I've still lost more than I've won, you can keep it."

Playing against his sensei was harder than expected, a massive mental workout. But it was fun in a way, Shikamaru mused as Itachi pressed his advantage on the left flank. Playing someone on a similar level rather than being soundly defeated by his father every game. The board clacking was the only noise for several moments before Shikaku announced, "You've lost, Shikamaru."

"Have not."

"Sure you have. In two turns, that play with your lance and bishop you're going for is gonna be waylaid. Itachi'll step his silver general back and his dragon horse will swoop in."

"It was going for my knight though-"

"It really wasn't," Itachi agreed. "You've noticed by now I lean on diversionary tactics and red-herrings yes? Well that's exactly what I'm going for here."

"You've played practically every strategy in Shogi there is," Shikamaru argued.

"Yes, but this is… for a lack of better term, the 'real me'. I'm familiar with most if not all strategies, particularly your defensive one, but this is generally how I play the game. Systematically dragging you closer and looking like I intend to challenge your defence when really I want to take your attackers." It wasn't a terrible play style, but it relied on Itachi's ability to conceal his intentions perfectly. Every little movement in Shogi gave something away and that Shikamaru couldn't see through it was both annoying and showed off just how solid Itachi's poker face was.

Looking at the board for long moments, Shikamaru eventually huffed. "Damnit, what a drag. Dad's right, you had me. Fuck."

Itachi smiled, "I used to play with a friend. He liked adding genjutsu to the mix. It's genuinely the worst sitting there and trying to figure out which pieces are in the right place or even real, let alone forming strategies."

"As much as I wouldn't mind doing this again sometime, I can't think of anything worse than having to constantly mess with my chakra flow while thinking about my next moves," Shikamaru admitted.

"Oh yes, it's awful," Itachi agreed with a smile, slowly getting to his feet. "It's nice getting a challenge out of someone normally."

"Do you still play with that friend?" Shikamaru asked.

"No," Itachi replied, his smile not faltering. "He's an Uchiha. I don't even say hello to them in the street. Anyway, I've obviously taken up a lot of your time. I'll be going. Thank you for your hospitality, Shikamaru, Lord Shikaku."

Stunned by the answer, Shikamaru sat there in silence as Shikaku offered a polite reply and Itachi let himself out.

"He… doesn't even say hello in the street?"

"I suppose to him, he still feels betrayed by his clan," Shikaku shrugged. "He's a dangerous man, your sensei. But so long as he toes the line, I've no problem with him coming here to play Shogi or training you. Choza and Inoichi are of the same opinion," Shikaku disclosed, shifting to take Itachi's place and setting the pieces up. "He's also quite the enigma."

"Yeah… I'm beginning to see that…" Shikamaru looked down in his lap in thought. "Why was he kicked out of his clan?"

"He proposed treason," Shikaku shrugged. "It was reported to Lord Hokage, who chose to give Itachi a second chance. He was taken off active duty for a fair bit though. I don't doubt the two are related."

"Do you think making him a Genin sensei is a test?"

"From Lord Hokage? It wouldn't surprise me," Shikaku shrugged again. "Uchiha Fugaku's been easier to deal with since Itachi left his clan though, so it's hard to say where my opinion on the matter lies. On the one hand, stuff was obviously going on at the time, but none of the Uchiha are willing to talk about it, and on the other, they're much more positive people since that time that it kinda makes you forget there was ever tension."

"Tension?"

"Yeah, a little after the demon fox attack, the village elders moved the clan districts around some. The Uchiha bitched for weeks about it, even though they got a bunch of land and private training grounds. And around the same time, Itachi passed the Genin exam within six months of entering the academy."

"T-that's insane."

"No, insane is the fact he started sending a shadow clone to his lessons at six years old. It's fucking creepy how adept he is. It's like he was born to be a ninja, and his body doesn't know how to do anything else," Shikaku reflected.

Shikamaru frowned. "Where's his affinity?"

"Anything really. He was classed as a ninjustu type with fire affinity, but he had perfect scores across the board and won matches in the Chuunin exam purely through using genjutsu. The only possible criticism I have is that a lot of the jutsu he uses are flashy and waste a lot of chakra if he doesn't land a hit, so I doubt he has amazing stamina. He's fast though."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Most days I can't even graze him in training unless he lets it happen. Which sucks because he's been focusing on combat until literally today."

"You sound angry at that?"

"It's a drag. I hate all that fighting and he knows it."

Shikaku scratched his chin. Then lent forward and threw a punch at Shikamaru, who raised an arm before turning his head to stare at their locked limbs. "Dad-!"

"He's working muscle memory into you. It's not a bad tactic, but I suppose he must think it's time to lay off and try get that old-man brain of yours working," Shikaku teased, pulling back and settling back down. "His methods are… odd. But I can't say I disapprove."

Shikamaru huffed and looked to the clouds. "I don't think Ino's dad thinks the same. She mentioned he went ballistic the first mission we had."

"Inoichi's just protective," Shikaku dismissed. "He doesn't want his little girl to grow up. It's hilarious," he added with a smirk, "he'll get over it soon. Especially if Itachi puts you all in for Chuunin exams."

"They're soon?" He'd heard about them. A nationwide series of ninja tests that moved host village every six months. It was good for networking ties with the other ninja villages. "They must be in Konoha then, I can't see anyone signing off on fresh out of the academy teams travelling to a foreign country for the Chuunin exam."

"Right on both counts, Shikamaru," his father nodded. "Less than a couple of months from now. We're starting prep but so far not a huge number of teams from other countries have applied. Generally the host nation makes up most of their numbers as it's a quick way to promote large numbers of able ninja at once."

"Still… do you think we could make Chuunin?" Shikamaru frowned.

Shikaku returned the gesture. "Hell if I know. If you'd asked me a month ago, I'd have said absolutely not. But now? Eh, you're actually training, which is more than I expected. I figured you and Choji would be blowing your sensei off and hitting a barbeque joint, yet three times a week you go out early and come back all scuffed up and exhausted. I'm impressed, but I don't know that it'll make you Chuunin."

"You too huh?" Choji noted around a mouthful of food as Shikamaru told them about his now semi-regular Shogi matches with Itachi.

He and Shikamaru were in a barbeque restaurant following group training, and for once, Ino had joined them, though Itachi had opted to go home. Or perhaps run some errands, he hadn't been overly clear. Not that Shikamaru was interested. "What do you mean, me too, Choji?"

"Sensei took me out for lunch a couple of times," Choji explained. "We talked about different chip flavours and what the Ino-Shika-Cho formation is."

"You mean that thing our dads did?" Ino blinked, then looked fearful. "We… don't have to do that do we?"

"I mean… probably? Isn't that what we basically do on team days anyway?" Choji asked. "Sensei said the Akimichi creates an opening for the Nara with big, bold, chakra intensive attacks, like the Human Boulder. Then, the Nara holds the opponent in place so the Yamanaka can take over the enemy and gain intel."

"Well, yeah, Choji. We know that," Ino frowned. "But then my body's abandoned on the floor, and if we're against more than one person, that becomes really hard to do."

"Did you know that once one enemy is captured the Nara becomes in charge of protecting the Yamanaka? They often use Shadow Possession to animate the unconscious body and mirror fight."

"I'm not looking after Ino's limp body for ages," Shikamaru argued.

Ino growled, "Like hell I'd let you near my unprotected body anyway. You're terrible at mirror fighting."

"Am not."

"Yes you are! I nearly took a kunai to the face last time!"

"You were distracting me by talking my ear off!" Shikamaru retorted. "At least if you were unconscious I could think."

Ino growled and half rose, hand slamming into the table.

"Ino, chill," tried Choji, "you too, Shikamaru. We're teammates, we shouldn't be fighting."

"We're not fighting," argued Shikamaru.

"Oh yes we are!" shot Ino.

Choji sighed and flopped back in his seat groaning, "Guys…" Looking around for something to break up the fight-not-fight of his comrades, Choji pointed out the window. "Hey look. It's Itachi-sensei, with Kurenai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei."

"Huh? Sakura and Hinata's senseis?" Ino blink, attention completely redirected for the moment. "Why would they all be together?"

"Maybe they're having a pep-talk?" Shikamaru asked looking too, seeing the three teachers at a dango restaurant across the way. Itachi looked small against Kakashi and Kurenai, face partially hidden by a high collared shirt, similar to the ones Sasuke usually wore, as well as being physically smaller than both adults. The two had Itachi caught between them, and Shikamaru had the distinct impression that Itachi would rather be anywhere else but there.

"Do you wanna go spy?" Ino asked.

"Yeah, because that worked so well last time," Shikamaru frowned, remembering the torture that followed the ANBU mask debacle.

"We could just ask him," Choji shrugged. "What? He kinda seems less creepy and more approachable now," he said to Ino and Shikamaru's incredulous looks.

Ino shook her head, "I… really don't think so."

"Why's Kakashi-sensei the only one in uniform?" wondered Choji. The three were all still staring at the sensei in the dango shop, earlier squabble forgotten in curiosity, their barbeque smoking gently.

"I think it's more Itachi-sensei is the only one not in uniform," said Shikamaru, "I've met Kiba after training before and that's what Kurenai-sensei was wearing."

"Alright, but that still leaves us why those three are meeting up and why Itachi-sensei isn't in uniform," Ino pressed.

"I dunno," shrugged Shikamaru. "Maybe they kidnapped him?"

Choji nodded, "Yeah, he really doesn't look happy about being there."

"Well, in that case, we should totally rescue him."

Both boys snapped their gaze away to Ino.

"Uhh…"

"What?"

"What?!" Ino echoed Choji. "If he doesn't want to be there, he can join us."

"But like… what if he's got some Jonin work to do or something?" Choji frowned.

Shikamaru hummed, "And anyway, we've just trained with him for the last three hours, we stink. No way would the other Jonin would believe us. It could get Itachi-sensei in trouble."

Ino huffed and put her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. "Yeah… but… should we really leave him to it?"

Shikamaru waved a hand, "Sensei's a big boy, I'm sure he can handle it."

Choji hummed in agreement, expertly looking after their lunch. Ino watched the chubby kid and his deft fingers for a long while before smirking. "Choji…"

"Hmm?"

"Come with me to Itachi-sensei and I'll buy you a rack of ribs."

Choji's eyes darted up, a dark twinkle set in his gaze. "You serious, Ino?"

Ino nodded, "Of course. I wouldn't joke to you about food."

Choji chuckled and turn to Shikamaru. "Get it ordered, Shikamaru. Ino and me won't be long."

"Guys…" Shikamaru blinked in disbelief. "Hey, wait! I'm pretty sure this is a bad idea!"

"Well, someone has to look after our table," reasoned Ino.

"Not that!"

"It'll be fine, Shikamaru," Choji smiled, following Ino up and heading towards the door. "No matter what happens, I can't die while I know there's ribs waiting for me."

Shikamaru's mouth hung open.

"Extra barbecue sauce too."

His eye twitched. Turning away from Choji and Ino's retreating backs, Shikamaru eventually flagged down a server and asked for the ribs, before turning to the window, spotting his teammates walking over to the group of sensei. "This has to be a disaster," he mumbled to himself, chin in his hand.

And yet… not. Shikamaru watched the group for what felt like an age. Ino walked up with her usual air of owning the place. Kakashi looked up first, followed by the other sensei.

It was too far away to lip-read, and Shikamaru's skill in that wasn't particularly great either. But… it didn't seem to be going horribly. The sensei didn't seem mad and Itachi actually had that slight sag to his left that Shikamaru had begun to recognise as relief. Itachi stood after a time and Ino grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the barbeque restaurant, the three returning to the table just as Choji's ribs arrived.

"Yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Choji grinned and jabbed a finger at Ino. "Don't forget you're paying for these."

"Yeah, yeah, fatty. Just sit down already." Ino waved her hand and nudged Itachi into their booth, sliding in next to him and trapping the older teen between her and the window.

"So, are you saved or abducted?" Shikamaru asked, steepling his fingers.

"Hello to you too, Shikamaru." Itachi slouched slightly and put an elbow on the table, knuckles resting against his lips.

"That's not an answer, Sensei. We can always send you back."

Itachi shifted, closing his eyes slightly. A scoff to the trained eye. "Saved."

"What did they want you for?" Shikamaru interrogated, adding to Ino, "And how did you get him out of it?"

"General asking after me. I don't like being asked after," Itachi answered evasively.

"Oh, I just made out like Itachi-sensei ran off when it's his turn to pay," Ino shrugged.

"Speaking of, Sensei, do you want anything? Ino's buying," said Choji.

"Maybe don't poke the pig," Shikamaru said quietly, leaning away from a seething Ino. Even with a table between them, he didn't trust she wouldn't try break Choji's neck.

Itachi shook his head slightly. "I'm fine, thank you."

"I can't decide if it's worse you'd prefer to be socially awkward with us than with the other sensei," Shikamaru said after a minute of silence only permeated by Choji's ribs sizzling.

Itachi tilted his head to one side. "Socially awkward?"

"Yeah, we're not exactly having a conversation, and the other Jonin looked more like they were talking at you rather than with you."

Itachi looked at Shikamaru for a long moment before shrugging one shoulder. "I'm boring I guess. I like my own company." The underlying but people keep bothering me, didn't go unnoticed by Shikamaru.

"You made a lot of effort lately. I was half convinced you don't do anything but train," he said, thinking about the recent decision Itachi had to… hang out, with his team.

"Generally I don't," Itachi said, not missing a beat. "I like training. But I thought if I got to know you all better I could get you to like training too."

"Wait, that's why we talked about chip flavours? So I'd train?" Choji frowned, rib frozen halfway to his face.

"In a manner of speaking. It's not so much your abilities that are lacking – though I would appreciate it if all of you increased your jutsu repertoire," Itachi said, giving each of them a pointed look, "but my ability to understand your motivations and trust in you. So I thought I'd try to fix that by focusing on things you like to do and being interested in that."

"So… you wanna be our friend?" guessed Ino.

"More like we're his guinea pigs because he doesn't human," Shikamaru shrugged.

Choji hummed, talking around a mouth full of barbeque ribs, "Like Sasuke then, but with more authority and less 'you-are-dirt-to-me'."

"That… You know I can hear you right?" Itachi asked, incredulous.

Waving at a server, Choji said loudly, "Sensei says we need more barbeque ribs!"

Back at the tea shop, Kakashi and Kurenai stood watching Team Ten in their booth.

"It looks like he's having fun," Kurenai mused as Itachi sagged deeper in his seat.

"Is that what that is? Looks more to me like he's trying to phase through the window," Kakashi replied, Icha-Icha open in one hand, though his gaze wasn't on the pages of well-written filth. "Something obviously is amiss. It didn't make sense when he got kicked out, and it makes even less sense he's been made a Genin teacher the same year his little brother graduated."

"We'll figure it out," Kurenai assured "For now, let's just take some solace in the fact he's not as robotic as we first thought and that his team think enough of him to want to spend time with him."

Kakashi hummed and in the next instant, both Jonin had vanished, leaving behind three cups of steaming tea on the table.