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

[Action]

[jinchuuriki]

[Naruto nods, understanding how badly Shikamaru might need the ability to make a shadow clone. Hell, the name fits with his type of jutsu. He puts on a little smile and leans forward to continue on trying to eat.]

Gotcha. I'm always free.

[Action]

[endgames]

Even with your own training?

[Action]

[jinchuuriki]

It's kinda like trainin'! If I'm gonna be Hokage, I've gotta perfect my teachin'!

[Action]

[endgames]

[Heh. That's more like it, Naruto. Even if it brings to mind Masaomi's talk about "heroes" in a troublesome way, it's routine enough to pull a grin from him.]

Aa, that's right. If it's for that, then I won't let you down.

[Action]

[jinchuuriki]

[That's what Naruto wanted to see. Something of a grin from Shikamaru after all this.]

That goes double for me! I'm not gonna let you down with crappy teachin'!

[Action]

[endgames]

Then there's no way it could fail.

[Awful as he feels... this is the first time in a week he's felt like there's something he could do to change. A goal he could touch. It's a good feeling.]

[Action]

[jinchuuriki]

Yosh! Let's eat somethin' to celebrate! [He's going to wave his arms excitedly.] More ramen!

[Action]

[endgames]

Tch. Now you want it. If you'd ordered it earlier, they'd have another bowl waiting for you by now.

[Action]

[jinchuuriki]

Hey, some things are more important than food! [Some. Only some.]

[Action]

[endgames]

Wouldn't I love to see that list. [He rolls his eyes. Naruto really could've been an Akimichi.]

Here, I'll go grab the order for you.

[Action]

[jinchuuriki]

[Do you really, Shikamaru? He'll write one up.]

You sure? I could just wait. No big deal.

[Action]

[endgames]

I don't get up for nothing, moron. Just appreciate it.

[In a way it's him appreciating you. He knows he didn't spill his gut like Naruto may have wanted... but he respected him enough to give him the space for that. It makes him feel like he can say those things, when he's ready.

So for now, he wants to show it wasn't all for nothing.]

[Action]

[jinchuuriki]

[Naruto takes a moment to think about that. Shikamaru really doesn't get up for nothing, so that must mean something for Naruto. Maybe it was the promise to train to use shadow clones. Either way, it meant something. And that was what was important.

Yeah. He'll take it.] Ehhh... if you insist.

[Action]

[endgames]

Sheesh, at least sound grateful.

[He's giving you a noogie before he goes. 8| BUT HE WILL GET HIS RAMEN.]

[Action]

[jinchuuriki]

[Wincing at the noogie, but he wont' actually sound grateful. It's kind of like teasing. Or maybe he's annoyed at the noogie. Either way, once Shikamaru leaves, Naruto can't help but gleefully chuckle.

Feels good, man.]