That Nara... | Naruto Fanficiton

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I stared up into the sky, today was grey, cloudy and... Asuma's funeral.

"Come on," I speak up, standing up on the roof of my home and looked down to Shikamaru, "Asuma's funeral is starting soon."

"I can't," Shikamaru shook his head, sitting up, "I- I just can't."

"It's hard," I nodded to him, "but something you have to go through, and I promise, I'll stick with you the whole way. Himari too, I'm sure she will. And Pa and Ma, and Choji, Uncle Choza, Choro, Ino, Inoiché and Uncle Inoichi. You know... We're all together."

"You're still getting over Itachi," Shikamaru replied, "how can you help me?"

"I won't lie," I told him, "it's a distraction. But it's one I'm going to focus on because I don't want you to do anything stupid. Especially go after Hidan and Kakuzu. Nothing good will come from it."

"If I did go after them..." he trailed off, "how would I kill them?"

"I know what you're trying to do here," I told him, "I did it before. You're trying to get me to go along with a 'theoretical' scenario, so I'll tell you everything that I know. Sorry, little brother, but that won't work on me."

He sighed.

"I wasn't going to go after them," he told me, I eyed him for a few moments before sighing and sitting down. He better not be lying to me.

"Fine," I gave in, "if you were to go after them again, you would have to have a flawless plan because they're both virtually immortal. Hidan has a curse of pure immortality and the only way you'd stop him was if you ripped his body apart and scattered it either around the world or buried deep underground. Kakuzu has impure immortality where he takes the hearts of his victims and sews them into himself, somehow giving him multiple lives and when one life is destroyed he will take the heart of the person who destroyed it. The only way you can kill him is if you kill all of his hearts. Now you must be careful with both, Hidan links you and him together by drinking some of your blood, whatever happens to him, happens to you, and Kakuzu has threads and something else."

"What else?" Shika asked.

"I've only heard rumours," I started, "but when Kakuzu comes across someone who challenges his strength in a fight and he's left alone, he somehow makes his hearts jump out of him and fight for him. Now that's just a rumour, I'm not sure how that would work on a spectrum of life. But it's something to watch out for. Now you must promise me you won't go after them, armies have fallen to the two of them, going after them alone is a suicide mission. I'm going to Asuma's funeral. You need to come as well, take as much time as you need but do come."

He nodded and watched as I stood up again and jumped off the roof and began walking to the cemetery.

That idiot is going to go after them no matter what I say, at least now he's going with some idea of what he's facing. This is the most I can do for you now, Shikamaru. The rest... it's up to you.

I got there to see everyone Asuma cared for were stood around a headstone, I walked through the rows of graves until I reached the crowd.

Everyone turned to me as I walked to Kurenai. She smiled weakly before holding my hand, probably for her reassurance that she didn't lose everything yesterday, or maybe she just needs that emotional support, I'm unsure but whatever it was, apparently holding my hand was calming her down.

°🥢°

The funeral passed quickly, and I noticed Shikamaru didn't come at all.

"Shikarei," Kurenai pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Kurenai?" I nodded to her.

"I need to tell you something," she glanced down to Asuma's grave as the last of the group left. My curiosity peaked as I nodded to her to continue.

"I'm pregnant," she told me, "Asuma... He was..."

Oh. Oh no.

"I see," I nodded before hugging her, "everything will be OK, I promise you, Kure. And I'll help you when you need help."

She smiled at me and nodded.

"I appreciate that," she replied, "how did you do it? Get over Itachi?"

"I--" my words got caught in the back of my throat, "I didn't-- I haven't. I'm still working on that."

I looked over to where Shisui's grave was sat.

"I have lost so many people, but I never really got over it," I told her, "you probably won't be able to either, but just as my father told me: we lose love but never stop loving, our first love won't be our last. Or something like that. It's that sentimental stuff that I don't really... You know--"

She nodded.

"He's right though," she nodded, glancing down at Asuma's grave, "but I'm going to miss him... A lot."

"That's natural," I nodded, "how far along are you?"

"A month and a bit," she replied.

"Wow I'm surprised you kept that a secret for so long," I gawked, "who else knows?"

"You, me, Asuma and Ren," she replied, "I requested Ren to be my doctor through this."

"Good choice," I nodded, "he helped me through mine, though nearing the end I was so ready to punch his face in."

She let out a laugh.

"There we go," I grinned, "I thought you'd never laugh. Come on, I'll treat you to some barbecue."

"Thank you," Kurenai smiled before we both began walking towards the barbecue restaurant, we got there just as Choro, Inoiché and Ren did so we all ended up eating together.

This is the distraction Kurenai needed.

"Well, if it isn't Shikarei Nara," a voice spoke up, we all looked up to see Ryuzo.

"Ryuzo," I greeted him, "What're you still doing here?"

"Lady Tsunade is taking her pretty time with the reply letter," he replied, "who're your friends?"

"Right," I nodded, "These are my teammates, Ren Haruno, Choro Akimichi and Inoiché Yamanaka, and this is one of my closest friends Kurenai Yuhi."

"Pleasure to meet you all," Ryuzo nodded, "I met Choro and Ren briefly, though I don't remember catching their names. Anyway, I may be here for a while so maybe I could get a guide?"

Kurenai seemed to get some weird idea and elbowed me in my side.

"Shikarei would love to," she offered me up.

"Excuse me?" I asked in confusion, "I see our friendship now. I remember you doing this to me and Ita all those years ago. I'm not going along with it this time."

She leaned over to me.

"Remember, your first love isn't your last," she whispered before leaning away again, "what would it kill to have a bit of fun again?"

I frowned at her before sighing.

"Fine," I nodded, looking to Ryuzo, "tomorrow, meet me at the gates at 9am. I'll give you a tour."

"Brilliant!" he clapped his hands together with a grin, "see you tomorrow then."

He left and we stayed silent before the boys all leaned forward.

"Dude!" Inoiché exclaimed, "he like likes you."

"Shut up you," I glared.

The rest of our meal was light-hearted to an extent.

I think pushing a date onto me was somehow calming to Kurenai so for now... I think I'll just have to forgive and forget.