015 -- [Action || Voice]

[endgames]

[Shikamaru is heading out to train in the forest today. Should anyone run into him out there, they'll be in for an interesting sight.

Deer. Not a lot of them at once - and fancy that, none are being slaughtered - and while at first skittish hearing footsteps, they don't run away from him when he approaches them. In fact, they come closer to him when they see what he's brought - apples and sembei biscuits. It took a lot of work getting these deer to trust him - he has no intention of taming them, but they're not like the ones his clan raises back home on their land that are just used to his presence either. The Nara are deer tenders, however, so Shikamaru's picked up more than a few tricks over the years. He'll walk about the forest for a while longer, feeding them as he goes.

Eventually, he'll find the deer he was looking for and get down to his training - which is half the reason why he worked so hard to get the deer used to him. They make excellent picks to practice his shadow jutsus with, though he'll stick with just the Kage Mane for now. When he's done there, he'll cut through town and back to CH1.

...don't mind the bloodstains - dried, not his - down the back of his flak jacket if you see him. He'd have left it back in his room, but it's easier to store his weapons in the vest, and with Sasuke back in Luceti he's keeping those on him at all times, yes.]

[Filtered to Sokka || 100% Unhackable]

You at the smithy today?

[Filtered to Itachi || 100% Unhackable]

[...




...yeah, actually, he's got nothing. He closes the journal without a word.]


[The next day, however, after he's recovered his chakra, Shikamaru will be making a trip to the roof of CH2, looking for the garden Itachi kept before he disappeared from Luceti, curious if he'll still find it there. Or him, if he's even still in the building. No, he doesn't care that it's pouring rain out there - if he gives any more thought to this than he already has, he's going to be sick to his stomach.]

[ooc: action for both the nineteenth and the twentieth! Obviously the bit with the deer is while the weather was still decent.]

Comments

[action]

[forestpride.livejournal.com]

[San watches him feed the deer, following. Paying attention to how they respond to him - without fear - and how he treats them.

And after a while she will reveal herself]

You are not hunting.

[action]

[endgames]

[He doesn't seem surprised there was someone else out here when she does, glancing over one shoulder to look at her.]

Aa. Funny that. You wanna get along with deer, you kinda have to promise not to eat them.

[action]

[forestpride.livejournal.com]

[Really, she knows about the deer.]

Why are you interested in them?

[action]

[endgames]

[He wasn't feeling the humor today anyways.]

Not that it's any of your business... [He breaks off a piece of biscuit and tosses it underhand to a doe a few yards off.] But I come from a clan of deer tenders. They remind me of home.

[action]

[yourhatred.livejournal.com]

[Itachi will be there, though his garden doesn't need tending for the moment. Instead, he will be sitting with a book held close and a pair of reading glasses sitting on his nose. They don't help as much as he'd hope.

He doesn't look up as Shikamaru joins him.]

[action] ...I don't know why, but that mental image was hilarious

[endgames]

[Shikamaru stands there for a minute or so without saying anything, just looking from the garden to Itachi. He snorts quietly after a moment.]

All you need is a cane and a shogi board and you'll look like an old man.

[Any other day, he might've found that as amusing as he intended it to be when he said it.]

[action] You're welcome.

[yourhatred.livejournal.com]

[Itachi pulls the book away, sitting up straighter.]

I will be certain to add those to my shopping list.

[action]

[endgames]

Mm. [His hands are in his pockets; casual. But where there should be a slouch, his spine is too rigid, and his expression might ring more flat than bored.]

If you like stories, [He eyes the book as Itachi puts it away.] I heard an interesting one the other day.

[ rainy day action ]

[markofthebrave]

[There is one (1) waterbender who appears to have - yet again - left her umbrella 'at home or at loan.' Carry on, nevermind her.]

[ rainy day action ]

[endgames]

[At first, he's so busy thinking things through for only the hundredth time that day that he nearly doesn't even notice her. By the time he does, it's kind of too late to avoid her unless he wants to waste his chakra on a jutsu.

Which he doesn't. So he plays it as casual as possible.]

Yo.

[ rainy day action ]

[markofthebrave]

[And Katara glances up and over. Smiles.]

Hey, Shikamaru. What are you doing out in the rain?

[ rainy day action ]

[endgames]

Taking a walk. [He looks up to watch the rain fall, wrinkling his nose as it splashes into his face before looking back over at her with a small grin.] I'm on my way to talk to someone.

[Action]

[nextgen-hokage.livejournal.com]

[If he's out training, then Naruto is more than likely to have actually followed him around for a bit. It's in his interests to talk to him as soon as he can, and he already pushed it off for a few days.

Naruto read the conversation that Shikamaru had with Sasuke. The filter Shikamaru made allowed it. And this is what Naruto wants to talk to him about, especially since this is the same thing he was told by Itachi a long time ago, and by Madara as well. And it was sworn between himself, Yamato, and Kakashi that they would keep it a secret until they could cross-check the facts.

As far as Naruto's aware, the time to bring that stuff into the open hasn't come yet. So, these two need to talk. Which is why Naruto's in a tree, watching Shikamaru. If Shikamaru hadn't noticed that Naruto was following by now, he'd be surprised.]

[Action]

[endgames]

[Naruto, you wear bright orange and are about as good at stealth as you are at calling it quits. Frankly, he's just amazed you've been quiet this whole time. The deer caught on to it before he did.

He waits until he's sure no one else is in the area, until he's about at his limit with the Kage Mane - just a little longer, just need to make it to five minutes like he can outside of the barrier - before he addresses him.]

Oi, Naruto. You spook this stag when I'm about to release him, and I'll have to kick your ass.

[Said stag, marked with a bandage tied around one leg, has been through this once or twice before now. Doesn't mean it's his most favorite thing ever.]

[Action]

[nextgen-hokage.livejournal.com]

[Okay, so he wasn't the greatest at stealth. Shikamaru noticed him, and he's not really surprised. He stays quiet for another moment or two before a moving a little to stand up on the branch he's hiding out on, putting a hand against the trunk of the tree as he does.]

We've gotta talk. [At least he was being patient and letting Shikamaru train, but if you're gonna call out to him, he might as well say so now.]

[Action] 1/2

[endgames]

I just told you not to spook the deer, dumbass. [THAT WAS CODE FOR "STAY PUT UNTIL I'M DONE". 8|

It's muttered, though. Despite the warning, the stag is smarter than he looks. When Shikamaru can't hold him any longer - and four minutes and twenty-five seconds still isn't enough - the animal tosses it's head and raises it's legs, slamming them into the ground.

Shikamaru turns his attention back to him for the moment, shooting it a look.] Relax. You're fine, aren't you? [He reaches into his sack to pull out two apples, tossing them away and into the bushes. And then with a faint grin:] Go eat.

[Action]

[endgames]

[It's only after the stag has turned itself around and gone after the apples that Shikamaru backs up, dropping out of his kneeled position to sit on a fallen log, flexing his hands.

He turns his head over to look at Naruto, then.] So let's talk.

[Private]

[markofthewise]

Yup. Looks like you caught me. [Course, he's always there.]

Want to pick up something?

[Private]

[endgames]

Not today. I might make an order later. [It didn't take long to figure out who might have made those flash bombs for Katara. 8|]

For now, there's just something I need you to take care of really quick. I'll be there to show you in a minute.

[Private] that is not the right icon LJ

[markofthewise]

[Hey now, he can't supply you with stuff to one up Katara, now can he?]

Right. Well, just let me know when you're there.

[Action]

[endgames]

[It won't take long. Shikamaru had already been trekking through town on his way back to CH1 at the time, so it only takes him a few minutes before he's walking through the smithy's doors.]

Knock, knock.

[deathsdoctor]

[Regardless of how the conversation with Itachi goes, you'll need to get off the roof at some point, Shikamaru.

And if you're going down the stairs, you've got to pass by the eighth floor.

And if you look through the entrance to the eighth...

...

...

Hi there. Law's not surprised you're dropping by. Not by one bit.]

This only took over a week. /sob

[endgames]

[And off the roof he does indeed come.

Law will hear the door close long before he hears anyone on the steps. Shikamaru stands there for a long while, fists clenched as he tries to process all of emotions that came with the information he just learned.

He needs to have a clear head before he gets back to the apartment - before he runs into someone who will ask too many troublesome questions.]

...fuck it all. [It's barely audible; said under his breath. But it is kinda quiet up here - nothing but the sounds of the rain going outside. He sticks his hands in his pockets and goes down the stairs.

For once, in about the first time since he's been in this place, he's actually paying little attention to his surroundings. He doesn't think to check the entrance to the floor as he passes it, though he should know full well Law lives up here. He's visited him for games of shogi enough times.

Soon as he hears something though, he'll be on guard again.]

[deathsdoctor]

[... the fact that you're not noticing him and not making any indication of noticing him anytime soon is telling. He waits one moment, takes in the sounds echoing in the stairwell, and then pads forwards, frowning slightly.

Dangerously distracted. Not like you.]

Oi...

[ action ]

[savethelastchip.livejournal.com]

[ This thread to be put to a time and place of the mun's choosing, so as not to corrupt any timelines- Chouji will be there without fail, because that's usually how he does things. ]