Koi-Koi

Chapter 15

Koi-Koi

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D/C: I own nothing.

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"He would have wanted you to have these..." Kurenai handed Shikamaru back a pair of trench knives the belonged to her late husband. "Keep them."

Shikamaru hesitated momentarily before he placed the weapons back on his person. "I will hand them down to Mirai once she's old enough to train with them."

Kurenai held her infant daughter closer to her, she hummed in approval at Shikamaru's promise. "Of course..."

-.-

Shikamaru and Gaara went up against Izuku, in close range combat. The former of the two needed training in, with latter needed advice on his style. So far... it was going rather well. The both of them are still alive, despite the fact they have been avoiding Izuku's direct attacks like a bat out of hell. The two could easily recognize how he took Lee's training to heart and made it his own.

Shikamaru slide across the ground, breathing in deeply, the Nara had to commend Izuku for making great strides in his training. Even if he's not one that specializes in close range combat, he's seen masters of the art and the Nara could see the knack the hero-hopeful has for it. A knack...

"You're becoming predicable." Gaara stated as he dodged a low-sweep by jumping into the air before he landed back on the ground and jumped backwards to gain space between them.

"The longer the fight is, the more predictable you are becoming." Shikamaru yawned, he stood up from his spot and stuck his hands in his pant's pockets. "The longer the fight goes on, you're going to becoming to predicable."

Izuku got out of his fighting stance and out of nowhere, pulled out a notebook and began to jot down their critique and suggestions. Gaara and Shikamaru ignored how he began to voice out his thoughts as Izuku wrote in the journal.

"You're improving..." Gaara murmured low enough for Shikamaru to hear him.

"So, have you... Kazekage..." Shikamaru teased, giving the other teen a smirk.

"...I'm surprised no one has made the connection yet... especially him."

"Izuku? He only knows what is shown on the news. Your inauguration wasn't exactly publicized..."

"True..."

"Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru turned his head to see Izuku pointing at the Nara with an expression with complete determination. "Yes?"

"Didn't you mention you and all of your friends had originally planned to go back to your home village right?"

"Yes...?"

Izuku took in a deep breath before he bowed deeply. "Would you consider allowing me to tag along in hopes of furthering my training! I would forever be grateful."

"You're going to severely regret asking me that." Shikamaru deadpanned, he turned to look at Gaara to only see the redhead looking away from him. Even so, he could see the other teen hiding a smirk. Of course, he is...

-.-

Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji sat around a small table and were cutting up the meat for tonight's dinner. Today's meat wasn't precut, it needed at least some sort of expertise to cut it and Choji volunteered them to do the work. The three have some experience with working in the kitchens of the famous Akimichi's Restaurants or Butcher Shops, every summer growing up.

That and the meat is extra bloody, and it made a lot of people queasy. Wimps...

"So, we have one more exercise after dinner, I wonder what the teachers are going to make us do." Ino mused, she got out a small sanding stone to sharpen their now dull knives. "I overhead Mandalay talking about how the forest is cleared for tonight's training."