"Maki? Do you know which one the king is?"
Shikamaru and Maki lay together on a field, watching as the clouds were blown south by the wind. She turned her head to look at him and he stared back, before she returned to laying down with her arms behind her head and eyes closed with a content smile.
Her Nara friend wasn't really asking her. He was kind of just stating and wanting her to listen. And maybe he even wanted her to know in case she didn't, though he doubted that. In fact, Maki understood this kind of stuff when they were just kids. She always did.
"It's not the hokage, nor the daimyo. It's the children who carry the future of the leaf on their shoulders. They're the king."
"I see," She smiled. "I guess I know what that makes me then."
"Oh yeah?" He muttered. He knew what she was to him. To him she was the queen, the most important piece that if destroyed, everything would go wrong. She kept them all together, the hidden leaf village, the rookie 9... All of them.
"But I wont tell you," She grinned at him. "Someday I will, but not today!"
He sighed and smiled. "All right, I'll wait for that day then."
They laid in a silence for awhile simply enjoying each others presence before Maki sat up with a smile and asked a question. "Shikamaru, do you have any cousins?"
His eyes fell down into a deadpan and he had to remember that while Maki was sometimes smart, she was also an idiot. "Maki, I have hundreds, I'm part of a clan, idiot."
"Idiot."
"Kurama!"
"How dare you call yourself my host? Please, put me out of my misery."
She huffed with crocodile tears running down her cheeks wondering why these two loved bullying her so much. Instead of thinking about it anymore, the brunette shook her head and grinned down at the boy excitedly. "There's this one Nara boy I met, he's really smart and nice but I think he has a few troubles, yo."
"We smart people tend to have many problems."
"Yeah, I know so-- Hey! What do you mean 'we' smart people?!" His eyes lit up in amusement and she had to hide the fact that, that was her goal the entire time. She didn't necessarily want him to forget Asuma (because that would be cruel and Maki loved all of her family) but to instead forget all the bad memories of him.
"Hmph, whatever meanie." She pouted and he couldn't help but compare her to a child.
"Anyways, what about my cousins?"
"Do you have one named, Kuma?"
"Kuma...?" Shikamaru felt something at the back of his mind but couldn't quite remember it. "I don't think so."
She didn't even try to hide her disappointment at that. "He's a nice kid, I think I wanna be his sensei in the future."
"Well..." Shikamaru was surprised for a moment but managed to continue speaking. "How old is he?"
"He's like 10, I can't remember." She waved him off and a drop of sweat rolled down the side of his head. Nonetheless he let out an amused laugh and turned back to watching the skies.
"Give me some advice after you become a sensei then, I'll need to know for when I teach Mirai."
"Shikamaru, you had Asuma as a teacher," She smiled. "You don't need my advice, just make sure you don't think of her as a drag, yo."
A laugh left him and he smiled. "What a drag."
~
"Say 'ahh'."
"If I want your help I'll ask for it!"
"Huh?"
What had Maki just walked into?
She looked at the silver haired man next to her but he didn't even look fazed by the weird scene. He merely opened up the curtains and peeked in, urging her to do the same.
"How's it goin?" He asked, but was ignored.
"What is wrong with you anyway?!"
"...Nothing?" Wait, she knew that voice.
"Now what?" Kakashi sighed.
"And just when Sakura was about to feed me!"
"Uhm... Always helps a friend in need?"
Yep, she knew that voice!
"Yakuza!" Maki burst in with a grin, glancing at the figure who held chopsticks with a few pieces of noodles. "What are 'ya doin here?!"
"Huh?" Naruto looked at Maki and the pale masked boy before seeming to realize Maki was here and jumped out of his seat with a grin.
"Maki! It's been forever, y'know!"
"Yeah! I missed ya, yo!"
"Hey, wheres my welcome?" Kakashi asked dejectedly but Naruto only waves him off. The silver haired man decided to pull a Maki and sulk in a corner. Being the empath she was, Maki was tempted to crouch next to him and sulk together so he wouldn't feel lonely until Sasuke had laughed and explained Kakashi was only joking.
At least, Sasuke thinks the man is joking.
'Man, all my students are all grown up. One doesn't have an arm, Two are the students of sannin, one was pretty much kidnapped by a sannin and kinda trained by him, and then theres lil 'ol me. Depressed, lonely, old and crippling-- Wow I'm hanging around Maki too much, yo-'
"There, there," Maki patted his back in worry. "You're a legend too, remember? You have to get old eventually, yo."
Unfortunately her attempt at raising his spirits only ended up doing the opposite and Kakashi sunk into the ground. Maki panicked and shook him while the others turned around to continue eating. She didn't stop until a voice she loved far too much pulled her out of her panic mode. "Kakashi, stop scaring my baby sister."
"Shisui!" She quickly forgot about Kakashi and ran to her elder brother, grinning brightly and hugging him best she could with the only arm she possessed.
"Ew, stop. That's Uchiha, stop touching him, stop it."
"Shush, racist fox."
"I'm not racist, just traumatised!"
"That makes two of us :). See this is why we're besties, Kurama."
"Maki, so help me if you don't shut-"
"I'm happy to see you too, baby sis!" He ruffled her hair and kissed her forehead. "Sorry I was gone for a bit after that... Issue. I got called in for a few missions."
"It's okay, I understand." She just wanted to keep hugging him for as long as she could. She needed the affection at the moment anyways. "I've been a 'lil busy myself, yo."
"Man, makes me miss the old days." Shisui cried crocodile tears and Maki only smiled while wiping them. It was getting his jacked wet, that wouldn't be good for him. Shisui only sniffed and smiled at her best she could before blinking in remembrance of something he needed to do.
"Oh yeah, Itachi and I were getting some Dango. Wanna tag along?"
Sasuke perked up at the mention of his older brother, but didn't say anything else. The flinch however, was enough for Maki to know he wanted to say something. So she made sure to include him when she next spoke.
"Yeah, sure. Wanna join, Sasuke?"
"Uh, no, it's fine." Sasuke nodded at her and unconsciously rubbed his forehead. "Just tell Itachi not to forget he owes me a sparring session, okay?"
She smiled. "Yeah, of course."
Maki and Shisui both nodded at each other before walking outside, bidding farewell to the other. It wasn't until she was outside and away from most people, did Shisui begin talking with his tone being stern. He only spoke louder as soon as Itachi was in sight as the male smiled and walked over to them. He was tall, so it only took him a few strides to be right in front of the two.
"About what you said before," Itachi looked around them before he gestured or them to sit in a tree. They all nodded and jumped up onto a large branch where they were close enough to see each and hear each other while others couldn't. Her brothers both activated their Sharingan and soon a genjutsu was cast around them.
To the two cousins it was easy to do, but to Maki, it was the coolest thing in the world. She practically had sparkles in her eyes and was awe'ing and ooing everytime something changes. Shisui had laughed and decided to mess around a little, he loved seeing that grin on her face and would do anything to keep it.
Itachi had to forcibly slap the back of his head to get him to focus and Shisui cleared his throat but made sure to send Maki a wink that she chuckled at. Crossing her legs she attempted to cross her arms but realised the problem in doing that with a sweatdropp.
"Idiot."
"Meanie."
Shisui and Itachi only chuckled, letting out small and soft laughs while she kind of just sunk in embarrassment. Kurama wasn't helping with his teasing either.
"Alright, enough. We need to discuss what you suddenly said to Shisui a few days ago, Maki." The atmosphere around them threatened to turn too serious for Maki to handle, so spoke quickly. "Yeah, I was visited by an Uchiha--"
"Was it Madara?" Shisui cut in and she sent him a look of surprise that gave him enough answer. He looked at Itachi and sent him an exhausted look and the brunette wanted nothing more than to erase it. The two were always so stressed, that she can't remember a time when they didn't have stress lines. It was an added feature to their faces at this point.
"Yeah, how'd you know, yo?"
"Me and Itachi have been doing research without anyone knowing, and the things we've found are quite... Concerning. It's not something I would have ever wanted to involve you in, but seeing as how you know who Madara is now, it's a given that we do discuss this with you."
"I didn't understand half of that-" Suddenly, an easier explanation was given to her out of no where and she smiled. "Thanks, Kurama."
"Idiot."
"Is that just your favourite word today?!"
"No, that's just the nicest word I can use to define you!"
"Kurama!"
"I would think the conversations between the nine tails and his host would be more mature, but then again this is Maki we're talking about."
Kurama and Maki whipped their heads to stare at the two Uchiha who held smirks and were leaning on one leg. Itachi was the one to have spoken, lucky for him Kurama actually liked him. Shisui however, was slightly less popular much to Maki's displeasure. He was her brother after all.
The two had somehow appeared in her mind and the both of them now sat down along with Maki.
"This is easier, now you can be involved, Kurama."
Shisuis featured hardened and he took a deep breath before speaking.
"Now let's discuss Madara Uchiha."
I lied, we aren't on the pain arc yet. This is so unorganised, it'll be here soon don't worry. Please tell me if you do.
Vote down below if you have already voted before DO NOT VOTE AGAIN. Vote on the name you'd like please.
Naruto - 30
Omoi - 26