Chapter 282 280

That Night, Nara Clan Compound

"Shikamaru." Shikaku lazily leans against the doorframe to his son's room. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Shikamaru is laying on his bed, on top of the covers, and is staring at the ceiling. He didn't even bother to look at his father.

"Bullshit." Shikaku bluntly dismisses his son's words.

"Mom's out?" Shikamaru raises an eyebrow at his father's choice of words.

"Yeah. Just you and me." Shikaku strolls into the room and sits down at the foot of the bed. "You had one hell of a mission."

"Stupid jonin commander." Shikamaru grumbles. "I can't get anything past you. What's the point of being a teenager if I can't sneak around behind your back?"

"You're too lazy to sneak around behind my back." Shikaku smiles softly at his child. "Though if you want me to I'll look the other way once in awhile. Especially if there's a girl involved."

"DAD!" Shikamaru flushes red in embarrassment.

"Offer stands." Shikaku smiles back on his memories for a fleeting moment, remembering his own experiences with his father. They had a very similar deal. "Now what part about the mission is eating at you? You can talk to me, even if it's just to get it out."

Shikamaru doesn't reply instantly. Shikaku doesn't let the silence get to him, he's waiting patiently. He knows that Shikamaru likes to think everything through before acting, conversation is no different.

"It's not the mission that's bothering me." Shikamaru finally speaks after minutes of silence.

"Is it Tsunade telling you what Alvarcus did?" Shikaku guesses. It's not a bad guess, to him it's the only other option.

"How much do you know about Alvarcus?" Shikamaru asks. "And I don't mean as a person. I mean how much has he done for Konoha? Before he left for Orochimaru and after he left."

It's Shikaku's turn to be quiet as he comes up with a response.

"Alvarcus was an asset to Konoha. He was quickly becoming one of our best." Shikaku dances around giving a specific answer.

"But not anymore." Shikamaru intently studies his father who is not betraying a single emotion.

"Yes." Shikaku confirms. "Not anymore."

"We should honor our debt to him." Shikamaru shares his thoughts. "I know that him fleeing the village is supposed to nullify that debt. He deserves it. He's earned it. Dad he saved my life, how can we not honor that?"

"You know something I don't." Shikaku correctly accuses his son. "What is it?"

"A lot. I think." Shikamaru admits. "I'll tell you first thing tomorrow morning when I have it all sorted out. It's a lot for me to process and I want to make sure I have it straight before I tell you."

"Deal." Shikaku rises up off the bed. "First thing in the morning. I'll hold you to that."

"Thanks for the talk Dad." Shikamaru says as Shikaku leaves the room.

"Of course. You can talk to me whenever you need to." Shikaku shuts the door behind him.

POOF

"Hey." A large white spider appears in the corner of the room. "I'm not here to fight. I'm here on behalf of Alvarcus. Mind releasing me from the shadows now?"

"How can I trust you?" Shikamaru asks without removing the shadows from Shirokumo. "I don't even know if I can trust Alvarcus and you're not him."

"Right well I'm just here to drop this off." Shirokumo attempts to point at the letter on his back but his limbs refuse to move. "This being the letter. If it makes you feel better you can pull your shadow back just enough for me to move then I'll drop the letter and leave. That way you'd have me trapped in a corner if I'm up to no good. Deal?"

"Fine." Shikamaru's shadow retreats until it's a hairsbreadth away from Shirokumo's. "Now drop it and go."

The letter flutters to the ground. Shirokumo is gone in smoke before it lands.

"Now what the hell could he have to say to me?" Shikamaru spawns a clone into existence. It walks over and picks up the letter. "Didn't dispel. Should be okay to touch then."

The clone hands the letter to his maker. Shikamaru unfolds the piece of paper only to feel a sudden burning sensation on the back of his left hand.

"OW!" Shikamaru drops the letter in shock to stare at the new black mark on his hand. "What the hell is this?"

After studying it for a few minutes Shikamaru gives up on trying to figure it out. He knows it's a seal of some sort but he has no idea what it is supposed to do.

Dear Shikamaru,

Blame Ino for your fancy new seal. I trusted her and she betrayed that trust. I've taken matters into my own hands, or technically yours. You'll find that speaking about what she told you just got a lot more difficult. Painfully difficult. Don't bother trying to find a workaround. There isn't one.

Alvarcus

"DAD!" Shikamaru shouts out as he flings his door open. "I need a sealmaster!"

...

Akimichi Clan Compound

"There!" Chouza heartily slaps his son on the back. "Nothing a good meal won't fix!"

"Yeah. Food always helps." Choji sighs in contentment. "Do you mind if I turn in early? I had a very trying day today. Kinda need to process some stuff."

"Of course." Chouza nods his acceptance. "It's hard to learn that someone you knew is capable of all that. Even more so when that someone was your friend. You know that I'm here for you and if you don't want to go to me you can always go to your mother."

"Thanks pops." Choji rises up and makes his way towards his room. "But I just need to sleep on it. Let it all sink in before I can really accept it. Something like this… it's crazy."

"Take your time." Chouza waves Choji upstairs. "Now get some sleep! I'll see you bright and early tomorrow for training!"

"Ugh can't we make it noon tomorrow?"

"No! Ten! I'm already giving you an extra two hours! Be grateful you got that much!"

"Thanks pops." Choji drawls out. "You're the best."

"And don't you forget it!"

Choji leaves his father behind and enters his room. It's exactly as it should be except for one folded piece of paper sitting on his pillow.

"What's this?" Choji picks up the paper. "OW!"

The paper falls down onto his bed as he tenderly rubs the back of his hand. A unique black square has formed on it.

"What's going on? What is that? Some kind of seal?" Choji picks the letter back up. "Who would want to put a seal on - oh. Bastard."

Dear Choji,

Blame Ino for your fancy new seal. I trusted her and she betrayed that trust. I've taken matters into my own hands, or technically yours. You'll find that speaking about what she told you just got a lot more difficult. Painfully difficult. Don't bother trying to find a workaround. There isn't one.

Alvarcus

"Uh pops?" Choji makes his way back downstairs. "I've got a problem."

...

Aburame Clan Compound

"Do you know how to remove this?" Shino holds his recently defaced hand to the light so his father can study the new mark.

"How did you acquire it?" Shibi asks as he takes Shino's hand in his own and twists it around to get a better look at it.

"Ino shared some information about Alvarcus with me. Somehow he found out and sent me a letter. Once I touched it that seal appeared." Shino sums up the fiasco rather astutely.

"You still have it?" Shibi asks and Shino produces the letter.

Dear Shino,

Blame Ino for your fancy new seal. I trusted her and she betrayed that trust. I've taken matters into my own hands, or technically yours. You'll find that speaking about what she told you just got a lot more difficult. Painfully difficult. Don't bother trying to find a workaround. There isn't one.

Alvarcus

PS, If this hurts your hive at all I'm very sorry. That wasn't my intention.

"He cares about your hive?" Shibi asks. He's slightly caught off guard by Alvarcus's caring despite being a missing nin. "Peculiar."

"He is a very peculiar person." Shino admits without shame. "Do you know how to remove the mark?"

"No. We should go see the Hokage about this." Shibi decides. "She may know what to do about it."

...