Shikadai said out of habit, as he took his shoes off. He didn’t expect anyone to be at home and was surprised to find his father sitting by the shogi board, cigarette in hand, staring listlessly at the wall.
'You are back awfully early today.’
Shikamaru was startled. He hadn’t noticed his son enter the room.
“Hey, kiddo. How was your day?”
'The usual.’ Shikadai shrugged and sat across his father. He glanced at the ashtray that lay on the ground.
'Oh, right. Mum left for Suna in the morning. You’ve been so busy lately. She thought by the time you’d come home, I might not be awake.’
“I see.” Shikamaru took a drag.
“Would you like to amuse your old man for a while?”
Shikadai started to set up the shogi pieces. He made the first move.
'Dad, can I ask you something? What was grandpa like? I’ve heard about him from you and grandma. Even mum said he was a great strategist. But, what was he really like?’
Shikamaru frowned a bit, stroking his goatee. Shikadai could see his father going through a million memories behind those closed eyes.
Shikamaru calmly opened his eyes and smiled. “To put it simply, he was the wisest man I’ve known.”
'You mean he was even smarter than you?’
Shikamaru made a move and looked his son in the eye. “Why don’t you try to figure out the difference. I’d rather you take after him than me.”
Shikadai scratched his head.
Shikamaru got up. “For now, help me out with the dinner.”
Shikamaru was sitting on his porch, going through some paperwork. The sun was completely blocked by dark clouds and it had started to drizzle. Temari had been gone for almost a week now. Did she always stay in Suna for so long? He thought of the time when they had to strenuously walk for three days to reach the village. With the advent of the thunder train everything had changed. Maybe it was the weather which made each passing minute feel like an hour.
Shikamaru turned around to see a pair of teal eyes staring at him.
'Mum should be back by dinnertime. I’m off.’
No matter how hard he tried, Shikamaru’s mind kept going back to the conversation he had with Shikadai. What was Shikaku really like? Did he know his father as well as he’d like to believe?
His father’s final words came to mind. He smiled, unconsciously. He was reminded of the conversations he’d had with his father over the years. He could see his younger self questioning Tsunade’s appointment. “I was quite the chauvinistic pig, wasn’t I?” He thought to himself and smirked. As he was walking to the office, another memory popped into his head. The time he’d first encountered his future wife. How troublesome.
Shikamaru reached the office and forgot all about it as he busied himself with work.
It was almost dusk. Shikamaru reached for his pack of cigarettes. Lighting one, he gazed at the filed paperwork on his desk. When did he turn into such a workaholic? The kid he used to be would probably not approve of this lifestyle, but he liked it just fine. It had all started with his first mission as a Chunin. The difference between the knowledge and the reality of a mission had been made frightfully clear to him. Shikaku’s words had got him through that phase and many more in the future. Temari was there too. Who would’ve thought she would become such an indispensable presence in his life. Shikamaru had been feeling a little restless for the past few days. In fact, ever since he’d read the note from Temari. When was the last time they had a real conversation?
He recalled Shikadai’s words. Were they starting to take his absence for granted? He knew that he devoted enough time to his son’s training. What was this feeling then?
The sky was quickly turning into a darker hue. Shikamaru started walking home, still reminiscing. He remembered the time he couldn’t fathom the relationship between his parents. He wondered what were Shikadai’s thoughts on the matter. He entered the house and went to the living room. A game of shogi seemed like a good idea to divert his attention for a while.
Temari was sitting at the table. He’d completely forgotten what Shikadai had said in the morning. Somehow Temari looked more peaceful than ever. Seeing her brothers might’ve lifted her spirits. He looked into her teal eyes and felt a weird sense of relief. Somehow the storm of thoughts that had been troubling him had suddenly become calm. There was a box lying on the table.
Temari handed him a note. She opened the box, it was full of sweet chestnuts. She grinned.
'Let’s just say, our son is growing up.’
I’ll be staying over at Grandma’s. See you tomorrow.
Shikamaru felt the corners of his mouth turn into a smile. For a moment he was reminded of a certain gentleman he’d known all his life. He sat next to his wife. The restlessness had finally settled.
@narutostuff101 your work has inspired me. Hope you enjoy this.
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