Gladiolas:
Warrior, Striving, "You pierce my heart"
It was supposed to be a simple C-class mission. Eliminate a bandit gang in southern Fire Country.
Only… the bandits turned out to be Sound-nins.
Shikamaru lets out a yelp as he is thrown from his perch by a massive explosion. He lands hard in the middle of a field beside a clump of gladiolas, barely missing a sharp frock near his head.
He fightst his way to his feet and raises his hands, preparing to begin the Kagemane no Jutsu.
"Heh," a cruel voice scoffs from behind him, "Little boys should just die!"
Shikamaru turns just in time to see the lunging sound-nin jerked backwards, caught in a wire trap the Nara had strung in advance.
"Heh," he returns, "Fools should stay quiet."
The cocky visage vanishes when the Sound-nin fails to reply, a snapped neck inducing an early demise.
Later, off the battlefield, Shikamaru mourns the loss of life. He sits, staring at his hands, smeared with non-existent blood, and broods. At some point his team finds him, and silently offer their support.
Slowly, he comes out of his trance, and looks around at the three ninja. Finally his gaze rests on the only kunoichi, and stays there.
This time, when she orders him home for rest, he does not protest. A funny jolt in his chest cavity is his only reaction to what normally would set off an argument
