GASP! Is Red writing a chaptered fic?

Yes, yes I am. Crackpairing and all. This is to prove that crackpairings can exist... if you do them the right way.


Shadows

by

Redex


They first crossed paths when walking down to practice, mutually late one day. Kakashi had decided to infuriate his students while openly taking the longest route possible from his apartment to the training field. Shikamaru had been taking a last-minute nap on a hill nearby.

They walked in silence, Kakashi's nose buried in a battered copy of Icha Icha Paradise and Shikamaru's hands in his pockets.

"What is ANBU really like?" Shikamaru asked quietly. "I asked Asuma-sensei but he didn't want to talk about it."

Kakashi still had his book up, but wasn't reading. His mind drifted.

"It's nothing to be proud of..." He felt out his words carefully. "Are you thinking of joining?"

His eyebrows rose. Shikamaru was young and smart. Not quite smart enough to make up for the youth, maybe.

"I've been asked. I'd be automatically raised to Jounnin level, which is just useless, do mostly strategic stuff, but I'd have to take missions too."

Shikamaru let out a long sigh.

"It sounds like it would be very very troublesome."

Kakashi eyed the black-haired chuunin, mentally thinking him over.

"If it doesn't kill you outright, it will kill everyone you even remotely think you're close to, and then it'll kill your sanity," he said cheerfully. "Not to mention your sleep will be ruined for a long time afterwards."

Shikamaru looked up the sky between the branches.

"The real question, I guess, is if the village really needs me to do this. Because if it was just about me... there is no real reason for me to take it."

Kakashi admired the boy's attitude. He would make a good sensei one day, should he survive that long.

"ANBU is constant war. There is no war in Konoha right now."

They reached the fork in the path where it split towards the two training grounds.

"Thank you for your words, Kakashi-sensei."

Shikamaru nodded to his superior before continuing down his path, vest and black clothing disappearing effectively into the shadows of the trees. Kakashi watched him go before glancing at the sun's position and, deeming himself sufficiently late, continued on.

"You're LATE!"

"I was waylaid by a wayward shadow who needed directions back to the Mist Country, and since it was blind I had to-"

"LIAR!"

Kakashi smiled at them, his team, his kids, and remembered his own sensei. Underneath the underneath...

He decided he needed some time off this morning from their usual roughhousing.

"Today we are going to study stealth," he started and summoned a handful of nin dogs. "So!" he chirped cheerfully. "Run!"

---

A few days later Kakashi was sitting in Ichiraku Ramen with his team when he felt a shadow on his back. When he turned, Shikamaru was looking at him, seemingly casual, but unerringly serious beneath his casual exterior.

"I refused. They were upset," he said simply, eyes locking on Kakashi's visible one.

And then he was gone, going to sit in the corner with the rest of the kids, and Kakashi turned back to the counter as if nothing had happened. He felt strangely relieved. But Asuma's heavy, cigarette-stained hand clapped down on his shoulder soon after.

"Did you hear about Shikamaru-kun?" Asuma said after ordering and starting to wolf down his bowl of ramen.

Kakashi "mmhmm"-ed around his own mouthful. He didn't mention that it had been Shikamaru who had told him.

"Turning down an offer to ANBU has some important people pissed off at him," Asuma grunted. "I can't say whether he made the right choice or not but... well, he's still a kid, even if he's smart enough not to be."

"Well, sometimes age is relative," Kakashi mused, setting down his chopsticks.

"But you wouldn't want anyone else doing what you did, would you?"

Asuma was eyeing him shrewdly.

"Let's go get a drink." Kakashi got up from the counter and started heading through the crowded stand to the door.

"Aren't you going to pay for this?" Asuma called after him, slapping down a few notes onto the table.

"The kids can handle it. It will be a learning opportunity."

Asuma chuckled and followed him out.

"Drinks it is."


I wasn't sure about the name of the Ramen stand that is often mentioned, and I can't be bothered to change it, so whatever. I hope my charectorization is on, because when it comes to these two, it is even more important than usual.

Review me.