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015 -- [Action || Voice]
[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.]
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.]
[action]
But that weariness isn't something he needs to show Shikamaru.]
Ask.
[action]
[Of course, there's no way of telling if there's anyone else Madara decided to run his mouth to. Besides Sasuke, he knows he told Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato.
Would there have been anyone Konoha would've shared that information with, though? It's like he told Naruto - this was obviously a better kept secret than him being the container for the Kyuubi, and there was an actual law in place for that. Was it the kind of secret they were planning on taking to their graves?
...or was it something that would have needed to be passed on to certain people. Like the new jonin commander, or the next Hokage (who'd put together the units for the Niju Shotai - the Akatsuki Hunters). His frown deepens - or anyone, just anyone.
At least he's certain Asuma wouldn't have known, if Kakashi didn't. The Third was a good man - his son didn't need another issue with him to take to his grave after he'd finally made his peace with the rest of them.
There were more kids in that clan than Sasuke.]
[action]
[Itachi shakes his head.]
But it seems whatever version of me was here before was a little more... open with this information. One or two citizens of Luceti may still be at least somewhat aware.
[action]
It's not like Itachi would answer him anyways. It has to be bad enough that two people he'd never heard of until coming to Luceti knew his life story from the moment they met him.]
...I guess it's not of much consequence then, so long as they're not telling anyone else. It's not like they can pull any strings with it back home.
[He works very hard to keep the relief out of his shoulders. Yes, there's a chance Itachi could be lying. Friend or enemy, you should never take a ninja just on his word. Deceit is just a part of their game.
But it's the best he's going to get, under the circumstances. And he'd like to think that people like Tsunade and his dad would handle things differently if they knew something about this.]
[action]
[action]
Is this how you want to live your life?
[action]
I'm... still getting used to the idea of having a life to live.
[action]
I got that from you before, in more or less words. What I'm talking about is what you want. There shouldn't be much change, between this world and ours. Besides what Luceti won't allow.
[That his death has come up so many times in just this discussion alone makes it clear that he might just have preferred that is becoming a given. But you can't tell him there wasn't a single day after you left the village that was spent wanting something something different out of life.
...or maybe you can. He thinks the garden indicates otherwise, though.]
[action]
What I want, Shikamaru-san, is for everything to have gone as I spent so many years planning it to go. What I want is for my brother to be able to move on with his life.
[What he wants is to not have to feel guilt at the thought of being able to enjoy a somewhat peaceful life here.]
[action]
It would be nice. [It's what a lot of people have wanted for him too, over the years. Naruto, Saukra, Kakashi. ...even Ino.]
But not much either you or I can do about that one. People aren't like shogi pieces - they move as they like. [Luceti isn't the only world this plan failed in. Sasuke is Sasuke - he will always do as he chooses.] Che. He stands a better chance of being able to do that here than back at home, you know?
[action]
If he actually remains here long enough. [He'd made it clear to him when he was there last that he wanted to keep him from returning to their world, and his brother hadn't exactly been appreciative.]
[action]
Temporary peace is better than none at all. If he can find it for however long he's here, he should. [He takes his hands out of his pockets, and folds his arms over his chest.] You too, if you want it.
[Do you want it?]
[action]
...Have you finished your questions?
[action]
You only answered half of the last one. I asked you if this is how you want to live your life. [It's a broad question, he knows. He was hoping to get as much out of it as he could.] To put it bluntly... I need to know if this is really how you want things to stay between yourself and everyone from home; them thinking of you as a traitor.
[What he does after this is dependent on that answer.]
[action]
Even if I tell you to speak nothing to anyone, you will already be acting differently around me.
[action]
[He ignores the second half of that statement. It's like a prediction about something he hasn't entirely made up his mind on yet.]
[action]
[He shakes his head slowly.]
Say nothing about it. I will see how things play out.
[action]
Fine.
[And that's all he has, this round. The rest... he'll just have to be content not digging for the rest. Curiosity killed the cat, and such.
...he won't thank him, though. For this - or that. Instead, he gives a short bow of his head; holds it there for a full second.
It's not gratitude or an apology - it would be awkward offering any of those things. They're both ninja, so they can do without. But what Itachi really did... that deserves respect. Which is something he's never had any reason to give him until now.
His hands go back into his pockets a moment later, and he turns to leave.] Enjoy your book.
[action]