endgames | 022 -- [Action || Voice]

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022 -- [Action || Voice]

[Filtered to Konoha Shinobi and Temari || 100% Unhackable]

Meeting tonight, at sundown. [What about goes without saying - most of them should know already.] Fourth floor's kitchen. Try not to pull a Kakashi.

[And thus starts off the long to-do-list of Shikamaru's day. The filter goes up in the morning, giving - hopefully - everyone time to see it.

He's decided he needs to talk to Naruto before then. On his way out the building he'll stop by his apartment, or send another filter off to him if he's not around. With everything going on he would be surprised. After he's tracked him down, it's off to the other side of the village to find Tony Stark at his casa, to hand over a project he's been working on for the last several nights. Playing delivery boy again, ugh. No notice this time, though. He's acting like a functional human being again, but he's not up for the sarcastic banter. Once he's done there, it's over to the school to find Katara in the thirty minute window he has after classes let out. Apologies are an order.

Specific things attended to... wow, without Masaomi around this week, he has a lot of time on his hands, huh. Well okay. He goes off to the forest with a bag of coconuts of all things and lines them up at head level when he finds a good spot to sit them for tanto practice - or more precisely: strength training. He's never used his short sword much. The one time he did, he wasn't strong enough with it to do as he intended, so he should work on that now.

And okay, surely by then the sun will be going down... or okay, nope. With a few hours to kill, somehow he winds up at the Seventh Heaven restaurant. In part because he figures it could be a good place to drop off some of the coconuts, and also because he realizes on the way over he hasn't actually eaten yet. Or done much of anything this past week, besides getting Asuma up to speed about Luceti, or working on various projects.

Sooo. Might be nodding off there at the restaurant. Might be napping after he eats, if he doesn't get kicked out for it. SITTING DOWN WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA. Fine, he'll pose a random pointless question to the masses, maybe that'll keep him occupied.]

[Voice]

Wonder why they call this place Luceti. Seems like a dumb name. Does it even mean anything?

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[Shikamaru doesn't follow right away, thinking maybe Naruto's just going to get something. But then he doesn't come out, so okay then. He will just lean against the door frame.]

You okay?

[He is already laying in bed, face-up.] I was sleepin'. Let's talk already so I can go back to sleep!

It's gonna be a long talk.

[Translated: Sit up already.]

[Grooooan, and he sits up a bit.] What're we long talking about?

The stuff going on. With Madara.

[That warrants Naruto sitting up fully, rubbing his eyes a bit.]

Should've figured. Figure somethin' out?

Workin' on it. [Always working on it, as of the past couple of days.] I'm calling a meeting with everybody later tonight, so we're all on the same page.

You are? Alright, you can count on me bein' there. [Naruto knows he wouldn't really have a choice otherwise, anyway.] What'dya got so far?

That's the thing. There's some matters that need to be planned for that I can't talk about with the others. [And to preempt the question of why:] We'll need to get in contact with Itachi soon.

[And the conversation moves to Itachi, making Naruto perk up a bit. He has an idea of where this is going.]

... Yeah, that's probably a really important part of this, huh?

Yeah. [It's kind of huge, actually, because it can go either way.] His stance on this sets the tone for the game.

[It does make it huge. Itachi's probably the most important person in this.] You mean if he agrees to go along with us or not.

And what he's willing to do, if he is.

What did you want him to do, if he went and agreed?

Whatever might be necessary. [Vague, he knows.] I'm not set on anything yet, not until we hear what he has to say. Even if he's on board, we're limited in how much we can let the others in on it.

[Unless Itachi's changed his mind and is suddenly cool with everyone knowing how the Uchiha massacre really went down.]

[Naruto nods, agreeing with Shikamaru. It's gonna be tough trying to lay low about Itachi's situation if he gets involved with the ordeal with Madara. This is beginning to get so complicated.]

Then we'd better get to askin' him as soon as possible! Before that meetin', right?

That's the plan. [At this point, he's kind of worried about trying to track him down. But as luck would have it, Itachi will be contacting them.]

Either way, we need to all get on the same page about what we know. At the very least, you and me do. [There's a pause, and his shoulders sag, dropping the soldier stiffness.] That's why I'm here.

[Better now than never to spill the beans as much as possible. Withholding information right now could only lead to disaster, and he knows Shikamaru and he should be on the same page. Naruto nods in agreement, give a look of determination.]

Right. What'dya need to know?

Let's start with what I need to tell you.

[It's a peace offering. Naruto doesn't need it - he's the last person who'd need it, because he just offers everything of himself anyways, no questions asked.

But if they're in this together, they're doing this as friends first. As a shinobi, Shikamaru can hide the truth if he needs to, but it's too troublesome to be like that with a comrade. Not on this level.]

You remember the mission you were sent on, after the announcement of the war?

Yeah. [Where is this going? Is it going to where Naruto has a hunch it's going? His hunches are usually either right or wrong. Wait what.] I was doing some stuff with animals and even got some real good training in.

Why?

[Shikamaru scoots from the door frame a little now, coming closer into the room.]

It was a cover. Your mission was really an excuse to keep the remaining jinchuuriki from the battle when the war begins, and out of Madara's hands.

[Naruto moves forward, clearly shocked by the revelation. A cover to keep him out of Madara's hands during the war!?]

Are you serious!? [Of course. It's Shikamaru.] No! That's not right!

It's not, but look at it from their perspective. [Note 'their', not 'our'.] Is it any better? Having you on the frontlines with the rest of us would've been like handing you over gift-wrapped.

I don't care! I wouldn't hand myself over like that! [He's getting really worked up here, beginning to stand on his bed.] I have my reasons to go fightin' too, and they're just as good as any!

Which is why when you and me finally get back out there, I expect it won't be long before you find out and we end up seeing you anyways.

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