Shikamaru never used to smoke this much.
Konoha is gone.
But then, a strange man dubbed Kagami appears and offers him the chance to save the world from the destruction that is war.
With a 66% rate of changing things, why not give it a shot?
Chapter One. Baku (獏 or 貘 ?) : Japanese supernatural beings that devour dreams and nightmares. According to legend, they were created by the spare pieces that were left over when the gods finished creating all other animals.
Shikamaru smoked a lot.
He knew how damaging the habit was, a little too well, what with his IQ.
Smoking can cause fatal diseases such as pneumonia, emphysema and lung cancer. Smoking causes 84% of deaths from lung cancer and 83% of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD, a progressive and debilitating disease, is the name for a collection of lung diseases including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Difficulties breathing, narrowing of their airways and destruction of lung tissue. Typical symptoms of COPD include: increasing breathlessness when active, a persistent cough with phlegm and frequent chest infections....
He blocked that train of thought whenever he could.
Now, by adding a layer of chakra to the lungs, in theory, could stop such effects occurring. But Shikamaru often forgot his control, too wrapped up in thoughts of his sensei. Moulding his chakra sometimes seemed impossible, in those days when the smoke wrapped lovingly around his neck, like a noose.
Man, he really needed a drag right now.
Konoha was gone, but this time, the inhabitants were too. All around was nothing but ash, and Shikamaru wondered absentmindedly if he could have one more cigarette before he turned to dust, too.
(Shino was the first to die, of all the rookies. That was when the war was in its early stages, and nothing was certain. Then Team Gai. Then the sensei. Next was Kiba, and after that it was Chouji and Ino who passed.
Man, he had been a wreck when his teammates died. Everything had stopped. Stood still.
Well, for Shikamaru it had.
Sai had ran to G-d know's where, and Naruto - of whom was killed together with Sasuke, of course - had then revealed about month before his own demise that the artist had been killed somewhere off Uzugakure. Sakura and Hinata were killed in a 'rescue' spy mission. A sick trap.)
All that remained was him.
Shikamaru-kun.
Oh, and her.
"What is it." Shikamaru asked tiredly, rubbing his chin, where marks and small cuts littered it, thanks to the heavy smoking he had done during the hardest parts of the war. That wasn't the only injured part of him, though. His arm had a scar that stretched from the inside of this wrist all the way to his shoulder, and tugged on his live skin whenever he moved. It was troublesome, and had messed up his left hand's ability to perform delicate tasks, but he was glad that he didn't have an injury across his face like his father did (had).
The voice was Ino. In his head, yes, but he hadn't gone completely round the bend just yet.
It was a jutsu. One the blonde had used with her last breath, exhaling. It allowed her to stay with him, if only in his mind. Serving as guardian. A help.
The Yamanaka always had the most specific jutsu out of the three clans.
Enemy to the left, 2:30.
He dropped the cigarette he was about to light.
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