Shikamaru
Kakashi and Shikamaru walked together in stride through the wide corridors of the Sunagakure Palace. They had travelled all this way for the Shinobi Alliance Grand Summit which would officially begin tomorrow.
As the two Konoha representatives climbed the stairs towards the royal banquet hall, Kakashi droned on in a slow bored tone,"... and so if the Shinobi Alliance decides in favour of this resolution, then we'll need to seriously reexamine our borders, especially the demarcation of the forests and the surrounding villages in the mountains…"
Even Old Man Kakashi can't pretend to be interested, Shikamaru thought.
He reflected on how just a few years ago the life of a shinobi meant blood and death - and now peace was maintained by endless administrative paperwork and the occasional banquet hall conference.
Another troublesome event with more troublesome paperwork and then troublesome filing to follow…
A streak of light caught his eye and he looked up toward the large glass window facing him. The staircase they climbed up was a grand one that split into two other staircases towards the upper floor. The window had an amazing view of the sky, with the sun descending toward the horizon. The desert sky was picturesque with its orange pink and dark sand, but Shikamaru's attention was captured by the blonde walking down the stairs.
The old nicknames he'd thrown at her over the years like 'warrior woman' and 'troublesome shrew' had faded into the past of their adolescence, more so every time he saw her.
Now golden rays shining behind her, Temari's figure was illuminated against the navy blue walls and red carpet floor. Watching her glide down the steps, the words 'majestic' and 'beauty' came to his mind. He watched her face brighten with a smile as she she walked approached him. And Shikamaru wasn't sure which warmed his heart more, the sunset or her smile.
".. and we could chop down the entire forest to make canoes for a fun race…"
"Yeah, I'll get right on that," Shikamaru replied completely unaware of Kakashi's sideway glance and sarcastic tone.
The duo stopped in their tracks as Temari stopped in front of them. She greeted them politely, but directed her words to Shikamaru, "It's going to be a long weekend ahead. Will Konoha be alright with the two of you gone?"
"Yeah! Of Course. Yes, I mean - we were just discussing - urh.. umh…" Shikamaru spat out in a nervous haste.
After rolling his eyes, Kakashi added, "Canoes. "We were talking about canoes, apparently."
Shikamaru chuckled nervously.
Temari blinked at him, maintaining her smile. "Ah, of course. I'll see you tomorrow," she nodded politely to Kakashi and then by Shikamaru's side she lightly tapped him on the chest, "When you have an update on those canoes, you can find me in my room."
The blonde walked past them and Shikamaru didn't hesitate to turn his head to watch her leave. He turned back forward to see Kakashi looking down at him from one step above.
"By my eternal youth! You are smitten, Shikamaru," Kakashi said, bending over to bring his face close to Shikamaru's. His dark gray eyes had a mischievous twinkle in them that Shikamaru didn't like.
"So what if I am?!" he contested hotly.
He tried to ignore the girlish squeal Kakashi let out.
With a pout, Shikamaru lamented aloud, "Can you at least try to maintain some decorum? You are a leader of a nation… and my boss." Then in a serious tone, he added, "This is not Icha-Icha paradise."
Shikamaru jumped when Kakashi slapped his hands on his shoulders. He pulled Shikamaru toward his face again and whispered from under his mask, "My boy, but it could be."
The young genius blinked back at him, unable to breath in this close proximity to his boss. He tried to squirm away from Kakashi went on, "We're in an era of peace, Shikamaru. It's about time we started living."
Shikamaru blinked at him, trying to decipher what this crazy man was saying. He wondered for a moment if this was heatstroke or maybe a sign of old age.
Accepting that the young jounin was not on the same page as him, Kakashi tried again, "Women are not secret codes, Shikamaru. When a woman tells you to go to her room, you go to her room."
Then the Hokage spun him around and pushed him down the stairs.