[ He wouldn't have faulted Shikamaru for that, not then, and especially not now, knowing just what had happened back home--what was still happening. How many more deaths were to happen? It was something he didn't want to think about, because war was war was war, and his students were fighting on the front lines. ]
I think I'll take you up on that.
[ He'd hoped to work through everything on his own so as not to burden those around him. Because these things had already affected his students a great deal, hadn't they? His death alone had been something they had to work through twice now. So he had tried to act like he was alright while he worked through things himself. Even when Luceti threw the things he'd been denying right back at him, he only ever showed the tip of the iceberg.
It had been, all in all, a poor choice. Instead of working through his problems, he ended up dwelling on them. Instead of moving on, he couldn't seem to get them out of his head. Kurenai, all the things he left behind, all the things he was going to miss out on, all the things his child would miss out on because of something that couldn't be changed, his team...
He knows, that it would have been better had he at least sought them out. He knows that strength isn't just in relying on yourself, and yet it had been such an easy pit to sink into, and before he even realized he'd been neck deep with no way of pulling himself out.
But it was a pit he didn't want to remain stuck in, and a pit he doesn't want to see Shikamaru inadvertently fall into, either. ]
no subject
I think I'll take you up on that.
[ He'd hoped to work through everything on his own so as not to burden those around him. Because these things had already affected his students a great deal, hadn't they? His death alone had been something they had to work through twice now. So he had tried to act like he was alright while he worked through things himself. Even when Luceti threw the things he'd been denying right back at him, he only ever showed the tip of the iceberg.
It had been, all in all, a poor choice. Instead of working through his problems, he ended up dwelling on them. Instead of moving on, he couldn't seem to get them out of his head. Kurenai, all the things he left behind, all the things he was going to miss out on, all the things his child would miss out on because of something that couldn't be changed, his team...
He knows, that it would have been better had he at least sought them out. He knows that strength isn't just in relying on yourself, and yet it had been such an easy pit to sink into, and before he even realized he'd been neck deep with no way of pulling himself out.
But it was a pit he didn't want to remain stuck in, and a pit he doesn't want to see Shikamaru inadvertently fall into, either. ]
Thanks.