015 -- [Action || Voice]

[its_troublesome]

[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

Comments

[action]

[yourhatred]

[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

[its_troublesome]

[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]

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

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

[action]

[its_troublesome]

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.

[action]

[yourhatred]

[The elder Uchiha frowns, already sure he knows where this is going.

This situation is going to become tiresome.]

Is that right?

[action]

[its_troublesome]

Yeah. [Shikamaru's jaw tightens once as he steels himself. He'll stop beating around the bush.]

It was about a traitor who murdered his family and deserted his village. [And here his voice hardens.] Only he might have actually been a double agent, who did what he did on his village's orders.

[action]

[yourhatred]

[Itachi's expression didn't change. Really, he should expect this from everyone by now, with the way things had been going.

It could become a bit problematic if his brother just went around telling everyone.]

That's an interesting story.

[action]

[its_troublesome]

[Very problematic. People might stop treating Itachi like he's the plague. Can't have that.]

Is it a true one?

[action]

[yourhatred]

Is it?

I'm afraid this isn't a story I've told myself.

[action]

[its_troublesome]

Can we just cut the bullshit? It's a story your brother told me, and it's about you and you know it.

Either you did what you did because you were 'testing' yourself, or you did it because Konoha's elders told you to. Which is it?

[action]

[yourhatred]

Nara.

[Not Shikamaru-san. Just ins case the seriousness of the situation wasn't apparent.]

You're being rather demanding of me.

That story should never have made it to your ears.

[action]

[its_troublesome]

...heh. [Would he still be talking if he didn't get it?] If that's the case, then there is some truth to it. No one cares if you hear lies.

[But he did hear it. And there's no taking that back now.]

[action]

[yourhatred]

[He knows he's merely delaying the inevitable.]

Is there?

Some might say truth is in the eye of the beholder.

[action]

[its_troublesome]

Like with your brother? He seems convinced.

[action]

[yourhatred]

Of course he's convinced.

Madara never fails to be convincing.

[action]

[its_troublesome]

Right, just another thing to thank him for.

[And everything comes back to Madara, doesn't it? He's another piece to this puzzle that Shikamaru has spent far too much time thinking over.]

Manipulative... dangerous... Not a very trustworthy guy, is he?