εїз.¸¸.•´¯`One - Video

[onchubbywings]

[The video picks up the ceiling of an apartment at first, turned a moment later to look at a brown haired, battle tired boy. To those that know him well, he looks like he had been crying just hours ago, to those that don’t it looks like he might have had a rough night with the darkness.]

I was told this will contact everyone. [There was a long

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Video!

[inolicious]

CHOOU!

JIIII! ♥

[YES it's an Ino, face too close to the camera but so excited! Also her hair is up in a towel and she is in a robe but whatever she doesn't seem to care.]

[action]

[inolicious]

[Glances upwards with her mouth in an 'o' shape; that felt like ages ago, but it wasn't so long ago... they were still rebuilding a when she was last in Konoha.] So that's how it is...

[A moment later, it occurs to her that he may mean he was actually in the middle of the fight. Blue eyes widen like saucers for a second and she pushes her hands toward him, palms forward, as if to say 'wait, wait!']

Konoha was destroyed, but Pein-- he revived everyone, before he died. Naruto convinced him. [Under her breath she adds "somehow," with a look to the side implying she doesn't get it at all.]

[action]

[onchubbywings]

[That sandwich? It was half gone already. He paused though as she told him... his future? He blinked, frowning. That... didn't make sense to him, but if what others said was true it... did.]

So... so everyone is alright? Father? Master Kakashi? [Sitting up a bit more, looking at her intensely he wasn't sure if his heart stopped for a moment in anticipation or if he held his breath.] Naruto fixed it all?

[action]

[inolicious]

[Nods a few times at his question, mentally tacking Shizune onto his list.]

[Waves her hand quickly in front of her as if waving away a bad smell when he wants to reaffirm that Naruto fixed it.]

Of course he did! He always does, doesn't he? Actually, it was really stressful, but he was so cool!

[Pause.]

Ah, well, Konoha is still being rebuilt, though...

[action]

[onchubbywings]

[The relief on his face was clearly seen. He leaned back into the couch once more, eyes looking past Ino towards the door they left open, expecting Shikamaru to show up some time tonight. He didn't know how far away he was, but he was expected. Everything was falling in line though. His father would be alright. The village would be fixed, though he didn't understand how. Shikamaru would be here and others he trusted were already here.]

He's here too, Naruto. Tenten, Neji... are there many of us here then? [He stuffed the last of that sandwich into his mouth, chewing, thinking. his tummy rumbles were more under control now. Tenten had said about the same as Ino, so it was a bit more of a comfort to hear it now. Things would go back to normal. Father would be okay.]

[action]

[inolicious]

[Acknowledges his relief but doesn't comment on it; her biggest concern when she got here was that her schoolyard crush would be killed for MURDERING A LOT OF PEOPLE and BEING A TERRORIST so it didn't compare at all to Chouji thinking his dad was dead.]

I heard that! Tenten invited us over for dinner. [Beam! Of course Tenten invited her, not Chouji, but whatever.] Actually, I think...

[No no, keep the gossip for later. She'd share her idea that Neji and Tenten were shacking up because of sexy purposes later!]

The Kazekage is here too, and, ah... [Here is where she fidgets and looks as if she's trying hard not to make it clear she's happy, hee hee. AUGH, and then catches herself, and looks quite serious and/or nonchalant.]

Also, Sasuke. [♥]

[action]

[underachieves]

[Now, finally, he appears in the doorway. And remains there, hesitant to step inside immediately or interrupt them. It's Shikamaru, there's no doubt about it. But he's older than they remember, very obviously so, by at least two years-- Although as weary as he is tonight, he might appear even older.

He shifts uncomfortably from one foot to the other, clearing his throat to announce his arrival.]

[action]

[onchubbywings]

Dinner? [Oooooh ooh, that was music to his ears. The sandwich helped, but indeed, food sometime in the new future would be really good. As for the gossip? he wouldn't be surprised, nor would he care so much. If Tenten and Neji had something going on? More power to them.]

The Kazakage? [That was surprising, but not as much as the next words. Sasuke? She looked happy about it, and he had to wonder about what was going on with him as well. It seemed most of them were here but no one from the same time? He opened his mouth to speak... only t o hear the clearing of a throat. Eyes turned to the door again, moving now to stand.]

[He didn't move from that spot though. Just staring over at the other boy. Not in his normal attire, hair seemed... longer. He seemed... older? He didn't make comment on that yet, just... took in how he looked.]

Shikamaru...

[action]

[inolicious]

Oh! And he's not here, but I met a guy who reminds me of Kiba -- his name is even Inugami, isn't that [this is where her ninja sense goes off] kinda [this is where Chouji looks to the doorway] weird... [this is where Shika's entrance is fully noted to her; Ino glances his way and stares.]

...!

[Before any outbursts, she first frowns -- he did seem older, more weary (but then she was older than he last saw, and clearly more filled out) -- and then looks to Chouji, as she very quickly figures out that Shikamaru is only here because of Chouji. So, she frowns deeper, in a more ... stubborn sort of way.]

[She even let some dramatic silence fall between team InoShikaChou... then beckons him closer with her hand.]

Hey, get in and close the door! You're letting the heat out. [And if you haven't noticed she is midriffless.]

[action]

[underachieves]

[This is... awkward. To say the least. There's the half of him that remembers them, and the heartache that comes with having missed them for all these years. And then there's the other half of him that's convinced these aren't his friends at all. He's only the clone, the replacement. The accident. And how is he going to tell them their real friend is dead?

Well he steps in obediently and shuts the door behind him. He won't listen to the urge to run away. He'll spend one night with Team 10. Either way, the life he knows will end tomorrow.]

Sorry.

[action]

[onchubbywings]

[Everything Ino said about some Kiba guy was missed. His eyes focused on his friend. New or old, it's still his friend. When Ino demanded he come inside and the boy did, closing the door, Chouji stepped past the couch and moved over, beside Ino]

You... [Yeah, he was going to say it, really... it was the first thing that stuck him from what he saw last of the boy. Carefully he finished.] ...look older.

[He was still a little bit stunned. Ino looked... like Ino. Shikamaru looked new. Give him a moment.]

[action]

[inolicious]

[Admittedly, Ino had some time to prepare herself for Shikamaru to be older, but her imagination just gave him a beard like Shikaku, and cool face scars. So, this wasn't really too shocking.

She sat up straighter on the couch arm and studied their friend as Chouji stated the obvious. As frustrated as she is with the Nara, she still can't help but notice...]

Ah--! Chouji, do you think he's taller? Also, his shoulders... they're much broader!

[Very serious, Ino gives a thumbs up.]

Nice.

[action]

[underachieves]

[His face burns and he slouches under this intense scrutiny. So much for being taller.]

Yeah, about that...

I turned 18 this past September.

[action]

[onchubbywings]

[He gave a small nod to Ino, absentmindedly. He was taller, wasn't he? Or... no, just older? --Things weren't right. It wasn't the fact that the boy was older now, or that he was taller, or just... well, 18 now. It was more a fact that something seemed off in how he reacted to them. Chouji couldn't tell what it was about all this, but he didn't act like himself.]

[Time does that to a person. He thought. So... he was like two years older then him now? Nearly that? It meant that 8 months was...]

You said you were here for eight months?

[action]

[inolicious]

Heeee-- [Her sound of surprise is because he looks older than that to her -- hasn't he heard about beauty sleep?

She looks at Chouji when he does the same mental calculations she did, but she frowns once again, aiming a distrustful eyenarrow Shikamaru's way.]

He's not gonna tell us anything, Chouji. Like who he's working for, or why everyone acts weird when I ask about him.

[action]

[underachieves]

[...Which makes his face go even hotter. Goddamn, this is really going to be an interrogation, isn't it?]

I--

Yes, I will. I'll answer your questions. It's just... There's a lot to tell.

Like, to start: this isn't the first world I've traveled to. It's kind of been about eighteen years since I've seen you guys.