As the team lead by Yamato approaches the gate, Daisuke dashes toward them and skids to a stop. The rain is coming down heavily, and aside from his regular outfit he wears a black straw shade as his shield from the water. "You guys! Two people just came back and took one other toward the Konoha hospital… I didn't get a look at them, but I recognized the first two… they were in the two teams that left with Asuma's!"
Frowning deeply, Senka seems considerate before she takes off quickly to the gate. Damnit… If people are already coming back injured; are we too late?
The rest of the group follows after Senka just as the three chuunin of team ten are entering the town, all three of them looking solemn. Shikamaru's hands are tucked into his pockets and a dampened cigarette hanging from his lips.
Jump into the treeline to get more speed, Senka drops in front of the small group worriedly, looking over them all. "Shikamaru! Everyone! Are you okay? I heard someone was taken to the hospital… …Where's Asuma-san?" She asks suddenly, her brows furrowing deeper in concern.
Looking to his teammates, Shikamaru then sighs and slowly closes his eyes. "…He's the one…" He utters lowly, pulling the cigarette down from his lips.
"Oh no…" Kiyoko gasps, her eyes widening. "Is Asuma-sensei alright?"
Not raising his eyes, Shikamaru still frowns solemnly before adding. "…No. He… Asuma-sensei …is dead."
Her eyes squinting painfully for the young man's pain before she steps up and wraps her arms around him with a sad sigh, looking at the other two helplessly. "…I'm…so sorry, everyone…"
Frowning in a moment of familiarity, Daisuke shakes his head with a deep sigh as he steps up to Ino, pulling down his shade as he puts an arm around her bare shoulders. "That's terrible… are you guys alright…?"
His bottom lip quivering as he watches the four lovelorn ninja, Choji turns to Kiyoko, his pain and loneliness emanating from within him.
Rubbing the back of her neck and looking off slightly, Kiyoko sighs before she steps up slowly. Her short hair is matted to her forehead in just such a way and her hazel eyes look abnormally crystalline. She reaches up to wrap her arms around him and pat the larger male on his back gently before offering. "…Come on… let's at least get you three outta the rain…"
"You guys can… but I at least have to report this to Rinsu and… there's… another person I need to talk to…" Shikamaru states gently.
"I'll go with you.." Senka states, one arm still wrapped around him as they start off.
Daisuke comes in from his room, one towel wrapped around his shoulders for his own hair and another that he wraps around Ino's shoulders. "…Gonna be alright?"
"…no." She answers honestly, bowing her head as she looks down at the floor.
Rubbing her back to help dry her skin and her clothes a bit, as well as comfort, the brunette young man just frowns a bit worriedly. It must've been pretty bad, then… "Wanna talk it out? …or are you just trying to push it away for now?"
"…I don't know…" She answers before slowly lifting her eyes. "…I had thought that maybe one day; I could get over the whole thing with Sakura… But now I know more than ever; she's my life rival…"
Turning thoughtful, Daisuke then offers. "Well…having a rival isn't bad, as long as it's a healthy rivalry… especially since…" Yeah, she's got to know now… I don't want to have any more arguments with Sasuke like I did earlier. "Especially since Sasuke and I are… close."
"What do you mean…?" The blonde asks, blinking once in confusion as a gentle frown comes across her face.
"Well… to make a long story short, there was an argument between us earlier and he basically said I was disagreeing with him because he was with Sakura, and I was with you. Don't worry; I quickly taught him otherwise. But… we're related, so… it's…" Darnit, I ran out of steam again… I hate when this happens. Especially when it's important!
"Related…? To Sasuke Uchiha? He has no living family… And you aren't even from Konoha… I don't understand…"
"I didn't either at first." Daisuke admits, shaking his head. "But Kakashi-sensei confirmed it with my maternal grandfather. His name was Kazuki Uchiha and he left Konoha before any of us were born so, naturally, he left before 'the event'. So of course Kiyoko and I were spared as well. Regardless of that, though, when I witnessed Haruka kill my friend it awoke that Uchiha blood and gave me the sharingan. And lately it's been Sasuke who's teaching me how to use it."
"…So…you're a cuter, more mysterious Uchiha than Sasuke!" Ino calls out before jumping up and throwing her arms up into the air. "Yes! ..I've already done one of the things you told me to do, Asuma-sensei..! I've beaten Sakura in love!" Her smile fading a bit, she adds with a sadder smile. "Now, we've just got to beat her in life… No problem; with you behind us…"
Watching her a minute, Daisuke just blinks as a soft blush crosses his face and then he moves to stand beside her and reach up to rub her shoulders. "And I'll help any way I can…" He offers before asking with a quirked brow. "…You really think I'm cuter than Sasuke?"
"Of course you are! He's all…dark and mean looking these days… Not to mention old. You're…young and handsome…with those cheeks…" She coos, leaning forward to lick one cheek before blushing deeply and sighing, turning off.
Chuckling, and scratching the other cheek shyly he just says. "Well, I'll take it…" Moving his other hand down her back to her waist he then offers carefully. "And while we're at it; you've got a much better body than Sakura, and you're more understanding."
Grinning evilly, she only nods once arrogantly. "Good of you to notice."
Looks like I was able to cheer her up after all. Licking his lips softly his free hand brushes gently through her hair and then sighs with a smile. "And you look really hot with your hair down, in this half-soaked state…" He looks over her long gold hair before then adding. "I missed you, Ino."
"…I missed you, too, Dai-kun…" She answers with a soft sigh, cuddling against him and closing her eyes. "…you know…I…think…. …I'm really…falling for you…"
"Really? …You're not saying that because of the Uchiha thing are you?" He offers in a half playful tone as his arms wrap around her tightly, pressing her against his chest.
Shaking her head slowly, she responds, looking off slightly. "…I was thinking it before I left… I was nervous to tell you, but…after what Asuma-sensei said, I…" Looking up at him with sad, shining eyes, a tear falls down her face quickly as she utters. "…Tonight…I'll give myself to you… Make it special…"
Blinking, his eyes widening as a blush spreads across his face, Daisuke chews his lip before nodding softly and reaching up one hand to brush the tear away from her face. Then, he takes his thumb while still dampened by the salty liquid and touches it to his own cheek, offering a small and sympathetic smile before finally bending down to claim her lips.
"I don't wanna sound rude, but… You're gonna help with a little of this, huh?" Kiyoko asks carefully as she carries a basket full of bags of chips and other assorted snacks, mostly savory.
"Huh? …Oh, yeah..! Of course,…" He answers distractedly, rubbing under his nose with a gentle frown.
Watching the red clad young man for a moment, Kiyoko sighs gently and turns thoughtful before offering. "It's… hard, I know…."
"…What do you mean?" He questions, looking up to her with a quirked brow.
"Um… losing someone like a teacher. That's how the four of us got to be one team… Both of our jonin were killed after Haruka betrayed us…" She explains softly.
"Oh…" He responds darkly before frowning deeper. "…Did that girl do it?"
"No… but the people she was working for did." She corrects. Then taking a minute to look over their items she chews her lip thoughtfully. …This is kinda difficult. It's never been just me and Choji. I know Daisuke and Ino are gonna want a little time alone. I don't know what I'm supposed to do really… "I was just… if you're having a difficult time, and you wanna talk it out with someone… I'll listen. I can't promise I'll have the best answer since everybody has their own way… but…I'll try my best." She adds the last with a small, somewhat sad grin.
Offering a melancholy grin in return, the reddish brunette only answers with a sigh. "…thanks…Kiyoko-chan…"
Nodding a few times, she then asks. "Well… think this is enough stuff?"
"…Are we sharing?" He asks simply, a serious expression on his face.
"Well… I can't carry anymo-oh!" She grins a bit as she places the bags on the floor of the shop and reaches into her back pouch to produce a hand-sized rubber ball. Molding her chakra with it between her hands she casts it from her right arm onto the ground and juts both hands out with two fingers on either side. Shortly after, Kiyoko rolls the chakra puppetted ball around, sticking the bags of chips and other snacks to it. "My chakra will protect it from getting crushed or dirty."
"Hmph. …I guess… It just better not crush my barbeque chips, or I really might buckle…" He grumbles in return, sighing deeply as he turns off and the two continue on.
Chewing the inside of her lip, Kiyoko directs the ball around the store to collect a few more things for other people at the house before they make the purchase and exit the store into the rain again. Ugh, some therapist I've turned out to be… I really don't know what to say to him… and he's not forthcoming, so… it's just making me feel out of place.
"…sound like he had a good, honorable ninja death on the field at least… could have been a bit fairer, though…" Senka offers as the two walk in the rain from Rinsu's Hokage office meeting with the chunin male.
"It's not over, either… I'm… going to finish this." Shikamaru states surely.
"Finish what..?" The brunette urges, frowning in confusion.
"This fight." He explains. "It's not over yet… they're going to come again, and soon. I've… got to do it; for the King."
"…For Asuma?" She urges questioningly, watching him as she stays in step by his side.
"No." He chuckles softly before continuing. "Asuma wasn't the king… see… remember when I told you his philosophy, about the people in Konoha being like the pieces in shogi?" When she nods, he digresses. "He finally told me who the king is… the children, who carry the future. Ours, his… all of them. And I'm the knight. It's my job to protect them. I've already got a good plan…"
Becoming thoughtful as she looks down, the shorter female only nods before offering. "…that's…really deep…"
"Yeah… I was kinda surprised but now it makes sense." Grinning he then offers. "So it makes the Hokage the queen. But don't tell Rinsu, it might go to her head."
"Oh, I won't. Believe me." She offers with a slight grin, trying to cheer him up; if only for a moment.
"Have you… been alright? I've been worried…" He asks honestly as he reaches out to nudge her hand with his.
Blushing before reluctantly taking his hand, she offers lowly. "..y-yeah…kinda… umm…been dealing with morning sickness, you know…heh…umm…really bad cramps from time to time… …Been spending a lot of time with friends and family… Sent a message to my mom… …Umm…Kiba and I…have been spending most of our time together…" She finally admits, licking her lips nervously.
"I… figured." He admits thoughtfully. She's nervous, so there's obviously something else… ….Oh man… if it's what I'm thinking… Swallowing softly, the shinobi holds back a dejected frown. "Is everything… healthy…?" He asks vaguely in a distracted tone.
"Oh, yeah… They say we can know the sex in just two months..! Pretty exciting… I've started gaining so much weight, it's stupid… I'll have to tell people soon enough, I'm sure… Rinsu's even bigger than me. I can tell she got pregnant before me, so I kinda think it's either Lee or Kakashi's baby…" She explains, still holding his hand, it growing a bit tighter around his own.
"Didn't… Kiba say he'd be able to figure it out…?" Shikamaru offers gently while noticing the growing pressure around his own. He blinks before sighing gently. Maybe I'm being paranoid and pessimistic considering what happened. She probably wouldn't have started dating him, even if it came up, just to prove me wrong even further.
"Yeah, but I don't think she's far enough yet… …It…doesn't bother you? Kiba, I mean… This might be a bad time to talk about it, but…you were such an ass about it before you left; I thought you'd…say something."
Stopping for a moment, Shikamaru blinks slowly before he starts walking again and clears his throat. "I… wasn't sure…" So she did start dating Kiba… damnit… what am I supposed to do now…? "I uh… thought it… for a second but… I dunno." His steps slowly recede until he stops again, his chin hitting his chest as he closes his eyes. "What am I… supposed to say…? I.. just wanted to spend what time I could.. Making it up to you. I know I messed up-"
"It's really kind of stupid, honestly…" She cuts it, turning off and looking up into the raining sky, her mid-length, fluffy hair now in a devolumized style of slight curls. "He's…really too immature to be a step-father…and even though he's a great kisser, he's awful in bed… I really care about him, but…I think we're just getting this out of our systems before I have the baby…"
Blinking at her several times, Shikamaru remains silent before he looks off slowly. "Oh…" …In ways, that was way too much information… in other ways I'm glad. I'm still… well… better. "So… is that what he thinks, too? …I mean, you know they say dogs and wolves mate for life…"
"I don't know, and we haven't had much of a chance to talk about it… We only had sex the one time, but he's always trying to do it… We end up making out a lot…" She utters openly, turning back to him. "You don't want to hear this right now…"
Frowning gently he then shrugs. "…Well… it gets my mind off of other things… and… if it helps you out, then it's worth it…"
"…I still love you." Senka states bluntly, sighing once.
"I love you, too." He confirms with a soft nod. It was so hard… seeing Kurenai-sensei collapse like that when we told her… I've… got to make sure this plan works. I don't want to hurt Senka like that…
Biting her bottom lip, Senka steps up to the raven haired male before stating bluntly. "You remember how Kiba tried to kiss me when we were together?"
Raising his brows, Shikamaru slowly nods. "Yeah…" Is she …suggesting we…? Well, I guess there's some special circumstances here…
"And how he kept trying to take me while we were still together?" She urges further, pressing her lips together gently.
"Yeah… are you… sayin'… what comes around….?" He asks carefully as he steps in closer to her.
"..I'm sayin'…'All's fair in love and war'…" She answers, her lips slightly swollen from her chewing and licking, making them full, slightly reddened and soft-looking. "…could get your mind of thinks, right…?" She finishes, her heart throbbing and racing as she takes in an excited breath.
"Yeah…" He nods, licking his lips and swallowing softly before he stops and glances around for a moment before offering. "But… let's get out of the rain, first."
"Why…? I like the rain…" She utters, pressing herself against him, but looking at him wantingly, otherwise not advancing upon him.
Alright, so it's a now or never thing… Nodding, he just offers a small smile. "Alright…" Inhaling deeply he leans in and down to kiss her deeply and almost possessively. His free hand reaches up to grip her shoulder tightly. It won't be long before I have to leave again… once that happens I really might not ever get the chance again.
Taking in a shivering breath, the brunette suddenly wraps her arms around him tightly, her body pressing more firmly against him and letting him feel the budge in her stomach.
Blinking softly, Shikamaru then just deepens the kiss. His now free hand reaching around her waist as the other reaches up into her hair. The Nara male's tongue slides passionately against the shorter kunoichi's while deep in her mouth.
Moaning loudly, Senka presses her hips against his as well before pulling her head back, uttering almost gutturally. "…no one…should be in the training area…"
Swallowing softly, Shikamaru then nods and sighs deeply in excitement. "Alright… well… sounds good…."