Book 2: The Three of Us

Chapter 27: Someone Please Learn to Knock

The door to what is for now my office swings open with so much force that it smacks into the wall, leaving behind a dent where the handle hit. My brother stomps into the room, and levels me with a glare that would cause anyone else to flinch back. Slamming his hands on the desk, his chakra spikes in anger, "You've been avoiding me! Damn it! " 

Pulling off my reading glasses, I set them on a pile of paperwork and meet my brothers gaze, "Things have been busy." 

"That's a bullshit of an excuse. You're avoiding me because you don't want to talk about all the shit you've been keeping from me. It's been days and no one is telling me what the hell happened to you. They keep on saying that I need to talk to you but every time I try to your damn assistant says you're busy. What the hell happened to you?" Sasuke snaps out, voice still loud with anger. 

Letting out a long breath, I look back down at the paperwork I was working on just moments before to avoid my brothers gaze, "Not long after you left for training with Kakashi-san, I fell ill. The illness mostly affects my lungs and is incurable but not necessarily terminal. Flare ups are often triggered by the use of my chakra. I take medication to manage the symptoms but it can only do so much. Prolonged use of my chakra, especially before I got my eternal mangekyo, causes great stress on my body." 

Sasuke lets out a harsh breath, and when he speaks his anger has calmed enough for me to hear the hurt and worry in his voice, "Why didn't you tell me? I'm your brother, I'm supposed to know these things." 

There's no regret that I feel over hiding this from him but there is some lingering guilt that I can't seem to shake, "I didn't want you to feel guilty. You were out training and becoming stronger and I didn't want to hold you back. I told everyone who was in contact with you to keep it from you." 

"Just don't keep things from me. We're brothers, we're supposed to look after each other." 

Biting the inside of my cheek, I think over what he said, and realize that he's right. He's not a kid anymore and I need to stop treating him like one, "Okay."

Sasuke gives me a ghost of a smile, always unable to stay angry at me for long. Lifting his hand, he gives me a poke on the forehead like I did with him as a child, "Make sure to come home for dinner tonight, mom and dad are expecting you. Alright, Aniki?" 

I look back up at him, eyes wide and mouth hung open ever so slightly in surprise. Giving him a silent nod, he gives me one last smile before silently leaving the room, shutting the door gently after him. Lifting my hand to my forehead, I touch where my skin still stings, a small smile pulling its way onto my face. 

He stole my thing, I think to myself. It was nice. Really nice. 

The moment is quickly over when another person comes barging in the door without knocking. Seriously, people needed to learn to knock. Naruto comes barreling into the room with entirely way too much energy and a seriousness on his face I've rarely seen before. Behind him in an anxious Hinata, desperately trying to keep up and behind her is Shikamaru, looking like he'd rather be anywhere but here. 

Face set in determination, Naruto slams his hands down on the desk and looks me directly in the eyes, blue eyes shining with something so intense that it takes everything in me to not look away, "Make Shikamaru your adviser." 

Shikamaru takes in a surprised breath, chocking on his spit, sending him into a coughing fit. Pale eyes look frantically from Naruto, to Shikamaru, and then finally to me. 

Voice horse from coughing, Shikamaru breaks the stunned silence that fell across the room and gives Naruto an unbelieving look, "That's what you dragged me across the village for?"

Naruto gives a wide grin, giving an quick nod of the head, "Of course! You said you wanted to." 

Feeling Hinata's eyes on me, I look back over to her and see the same determination in her. She gives me a smile, and speaks quietly but confidently, "I agree. Shikamaru would make a great advisor." 

Shikamaru gives them both exasperated looks, "I made a passing comment about the idea of possibly being the future Hokage's advisor. That's it." 

"That's Nara talk for, I really want to do this even though it's a total drag," Naruto says, the grin on his face becoming even wider. 

"Convince me." 

"Come on! He's great! I shouldn't need ta convince you," Naruto wines. 

Crossing my arms I give him a flat look and repeat my words, "Convince me." 

"Ugh fine! Have it your way. He knows a ton about politics and entirely way too much about the inner workings of a village. Seriously it's kinda ridiculous, I don't know how he keeps all that information in his brain. On top of that he has a photographic memory and can memorize literally everything. And he's probably the smartest person in the village." 

Hinata gives a nod of agreement, "It's true, he has an IQ of over 200. And he also has incredible handwriting." 

"Oh! Don't forget that he's an amazing strategist and can keep up with shinobi much stronger then him simply by using his smarts against them." 

The edge of my lips turn up slightly in amusement when I see Shikamaru's cheeks turn red from embarrassment. Uncrossing my arms, I lean forward, placing my elbows on the table, "I accept." 

Naruto's whole self seems to buzz with excitement, giving his first completely true smile. The excitement and happiness in Hinata is there, more controlled but just as intense. While Shikamaru gives a comical look, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open ever so slightly. 

"Shikamaru-san, be here at 07:00 tomorrow for your first day," I say.