025 -- [Action || Voice]

[endgames]

[When Shikamaru heads down to Asuma's apartment Monday morning, he finds it empty of everything but Kurenai's things and a silver lighter standing on the table. It's wrong, but he doesn't give in to the false hope.

Of course it would stay. Even though Shikamaru gave it back to him, the lighter stopped being Asuma's the moment he picked it off his dying body.

Kurenai must've stepped out before it happened. She's a ninja, and not so senseless to have left the door wide open and run off in her grief. And so he waits for her, and tries to find his words.

After he leaves Kurenai, he has to tell Ino. Team 8 he'll find in person too - he has a request for them on top of this. It's been too long since they've heard a stir from their enemies.]

[It's well past midnight before an announcement comes, after he's made this post and spent a few hours going over the discussions there. When people are either busy with the information he gave them, or asleep.

He smokes a cigarette on his way back to his apartment in the night air, putting it out before he steps into the building, his posture falsely relaxed until he steps into his own room.]

Sarutobi Asuma is gone. [There's a pause and- no, he doesn't think it was mentioned.] Also, Haruno Sakura returned to her world a few weeks ago, for anyone who knew her.

Funnily enough, I haven't seen that masked Akatsuki guy in a while either...

[Too many people to filter that too. It's vague enough, but anyone who needs to know should get what he means. It would have been better news if he'd known before.

He'll answer journal comments in the morning.]

Comments

[ Voice | Private ]

[markofthebrave]

[Finding Ikki in the middle of the day means that Katara doesn't get back to this until late, late at night. Or even very early the next morning. She might have seen Shikamaru in the meantime, even, talking with her granddaughter.

But it also means that she isn't inclined to prolong this or probe him out, and that she doesn't have time right now to seek him out because she is utterly exhausted and would be of absolutely no help. At least there's a nap in her future and a mikan-party in Nami's honor.

And a lot can probably be inferred from her simple agreement:]

All right.

[ Voice | Private ]

[endgames]

[She's still just as tired as he is, he can tell. But even if she's brought a slew of questions with her, he thinks Ikki can help more than he can right now, in this.

That she's leaving this is secondary, temporary. She'll bring it up somehow, he wouldn't be surprised.]

But thanks. Sleep well, Katara. Or try.