030 -- [Action]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru's a hard man to find after this (on-going) thread.

He doesn't return to his apartment until the next morning, through the spare bedroom and not the front door. It's doubtful anyone else will catch him outside of his own floor for the next several days, though he always has his journal on him.

Those days are also partially spent tracking down Tony Stark, Law, Itachi, Gold, Silver, and a few others in his building to warn them about Hidan. Masaomi will no doubt hear from him when he gets back, and Riku may have learned what he needs to know from Ino before Shikamaru gets to him, but they're both on the list. He'll also be visiting the Avatar house for a few people in particular, but given that's half the house he won't be shunning anyone else he runs into there.]

Comments

[Action - 20th]

[savedtheworld]

[Aang will actually be a little off from the house, skipping rocks into the river.]

[deathsdoctor]

[You've picked the perfect time to catch them both at home. Who answers the door is Law, Amaya and Sumire poking their heads around his legs to take a look. Itachi is close by no doubt.]

Shikamaru?

[Thiiiiiiiis isn't a social call, is it?]

[generalflirt]

[That first morning Masaomi is asleep on the couch, having waited up most of the day/night for Shikamaru. Do you wake him, put a blanket on him or something, or none of the above?]

[tsuntrader]

[Well, Shikamaru can obviously find him in the Battle Dome. It shouldn't be too hard to drag him out.

Or he can wait for him to burn the majority of his day in simulations and either be in the pokehouse or off at who knows where in the woods.

His call.]

[Action - 20th]

[endgames]

[That makes him the first person he runs into, given he went the long way instead of taking the path. He appears quietly and speaks from across the river.]

Aang.

[endgames]

Hey. [Nope. It sure as hell isn't.] Can I come in?

[Action - 20th]

[savedtheworld]

[He looks up, startled by the voice. Ninja'd. He smiles despite the obvious seriousness of this meeting.]

Hey Shikamaru!

[endgames]

[First, he takes a shower. After fighting Hidan, he got to the mountains the hard way before taking the teleporter back here. He doesn't much care, but he's probably been enough of a pain for one night.

When he's done, he checks the time. Not even six in the morning yet, and the sun is still far off. He drops a blanket on Masaomi and goes across the hall for something to eat, ending up bumping into Ino out there. He's quiet with the door, but Masaomi might hear that. If not and he's still asleep when he gets back, Shikamaru will go off to play shogi in his room.]

[endgames]

[He's in an anxious enough mood that the Battle Dome is actually on his list this time. Even if he hates using it, a few of his friends on his list are regulars there, so.

He's being stealthy about it all the same. He's not in the mood to talk to anyone right now, so he uses a minor genjutsu to deflect attention from himself. Seems he's in luck though - he spots Silver in one of those simulations from the viewing window.]

[deathsdoctor]

Sure can. [He's just coming to carefully pick up Amaya and Sumire (note: Sumire is pregnant and visibly quite far along.)] You need to talk to me or him or both of us?

[Action - 20th]

[endgames]

[He nods, and keeps his hands in his pockets. He could walk across the water but gets the feeling that would bring up innocent questions he doesn't feel like entertaining right now... so he settles for jumping straight across, ignoring pleasantries.]

I need to talk to you.

[endgames]

[He gives the cats a glance, not saying anything until the door is closed.] Both.

[deathsdoctor]

... serious, then. Come into the kitchen and we'll talk. [The girls are about due their feeding time anyway, and Law can multitask.

And even though he's sure Itachi has already heard and is about to appear...]

Oi! Itachi? Need you here for this.

[Action - 20th]

[savedtheworld]

[And the smile is on its way out.]

What is it, Shikamaru?

[Action - 20th]

[endgames]

Something's come up. [He folds his hands behind his head, a feint; a resemblance of calm.] Let's find somewhere quiet to talk.

[Action - 20th]

[savedtheworld]

[He's quickly on his feet and ready to follow.]

Sure thing. Lead the way.

[Action - 20th]

[endgames]

[He'll probably steer them back towards the Avatar house, up on the roof. Aang has airbending, so he has no doubt he can get up there too.]

[Action - 20th]

[savedtheworld]

[He'll be airbending his way up there, alright, with more determination than his usual grace. He's lost at what this is for, except that it must be serious.]

[Action - 20th]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru waits until Aang is seated as well, and then be begins.]

A man has shown up from my world. You remember the talk about the Akatsuki, yeah?

[Action - 20th]

[savedtheworld]

[Definitely bad news.]

I do. The... the terrorist guys, that Tobi was with. He's not... back, is he? [Has he left his ninja wife behind.]

[tsuntrader]

[Yep. The simulation he's in is unstable, to say the least- the environment and enemies are constantly changing.

One minute he flies down with Murkrow as he paralyzes and smashes heads with a dragon in some mountains. The next he's in a forested area with some generic ninjas (because ninjas are cooler screw you Gold) (even if we decided that samurais are the best) and he switches to Sneasel so the the two of them can try to outmaneuver and stay stealthier than them. Sneasel's built for the part, so they do manage to quietly pick off a couple of them.

The scenery switches again, and it's nothing but an open clearing and a whole lot of big guys, so Silver lets out Feraligatr, who slams his foot down to split the earth open again- but this time, unlike their battle in Vaskoth, it's not a shockwave. An Earthquake. No, it's Larger. Wider. Significantly so. The earth itself splits apart and becomes misshapen...

...And it only spreads to about ten feet in front of them. Well shit.

Getting rammed into by a bunch of electricly charged Electivire using Wild Charge and subsequently getting zapped by their two tails has got to hurt. It definitely looks painful enough for the two of them as the simulation fades.]

[Action - 20th]

[endgames]

No. I would've come out and said it if it were so. [He pulls up one knees and rests his arm over it.] But he should be taken no less seriously. He's not the type to quietly plot things.

[Action - 20th]

[savedtheworld]

I see. [With a solemn nod.] Then who is this guy, exacly?

[endgames]

[Shikamaru's not sure how that can count as training. There's no time to think--

Ah. Maybe that's it.

But either way it's not his problem. Shikamaru walks away from the viewing window and down to the doors to the room Silver had, waiting outside with his arms crossed for him to come out. He hopes he's only smarting from that fight. Two weeks out of bed is early to be pushing a lot of fighting, and as serious of a talk as he needs to have with him, he'd still feel guilty if he kept him from taking a breather.]

[Action - 20th]

[endgames]

His name is Hidan. [...] He was a member of that organization, and a psychotic killer and immortal to boot.