Her Mask (Shikamaru x Oc)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Shingami’s eyes cracked open.

Her vision was blurry and the smell of disinfectant hit her like a ton of bricks.

She turned her head to the left seeing a two-foot tower of senbon, her mask, a white bowl vase with a pink lily in the middle, and a bowl of strawberries with her tento’s broken off hilt laying underneath on a little table.

She grimaced at the tower knowing Genma had probably spent a little more than an hour doing it, even with everything that had happened.

Shinigami Looked down at her left arm noticing that there was an IV needle in. The girl glared at it using her other hand ripping it out of her arm, there was blood but it healed up quickly. 

The girl drew back the blanket that was covering her legs noticing the blood crusted bandages everywhere she could see.

She leaned over to the table grabbing what was left of her blade and cut off all the bandages tossing them into a little trash bin that was nearby.

She opened a dresser door revealing a mirror and a change of clothes. Her hair had been pulled back with a clip opposed to it just being left alone as it usually was.

She pulled the clip out and grabbed the clothes, seeing that it was a pink t-shirt and a light grey skirt with some grey boots to match. Shingami knew who picked it out because Shingami didn’t own any bright pink shirts.

‘Damn it, Ino…’

The girl groaned but slipped off the hospital gown and threw on the skirt and shirt, ignoring whoever just came in through the door with her back turned to them. When she pulled the shirt over her head she turned around.

Shikamaru was standing there, his face bright red.

“This always seems to happen doesn’t it?” Shingami said casually, clearly unbothered by the Nara’s presence. 

“Y-Yeah. Seems that way.” Shikamaru said before lifting up a small tinted glass vase with a single white rose. “I, uh, got this for you.”

Shingami’s eyes stalled on the flower, noticing how she didn’t say anything Shikamaru continued.

“I remember you said you liked roses, and you liked the white and red ones. So, uh, I thought that you’d like one.”

Shingami silently walked over to him and too gently took the vase from him. She examined the rose, seeing that it was still freshly cut. She gently lifted it up by the thornless stem, closing her eyes taking in the sweet scent.

“I… I didn’t think you’d remember something so insignificant.” She said quietly.

Shikamaru paused in his own thoughts. To him, she looked so distant, so Isolated. He didn’t know why she looked like that but something in the back of his mind told him he never wanted to see that look ever again.

He was brought out of his thoughts when she walked past him putting the rose on the table with all the other things that people had brought for her. 

He raised an eyebrow at the stacked tower of senbon, Shingami noticed and gave him a small smile. “Genma always does stuff like this.”

Shikamaru nodded slowly. “I saw his creation at the restaurant. He must have a lot of free time on his hands.”

Shingami sighed. “As much time as any Jonnin can get, there’s always something to be done.” 

Shikamaru nodded in understanding. Shingami sat back down on the side of the bed. Her hands gripping the sheets tightly.

“I failed him.” She looked at Shikamaru shaking her head. “Lord third is dead because I wasn’t fast enough.”

‘It’s not your fault…’

Shikamaru knelt down in front of her looking her in the eyes. “Shingami there was nothing you could’ve done, nothing anyone could’ve done.”

He put his hand on hers. “You did more than anyone else, Asuma told me that you broke into the barrier, nobody else did that.”

‘They would have died.’

“I got through but I still couldn’t save him.”

‘Maybe my father was right.’ 

Shingami closed her eyes.

'I am pathetic.'

“You did everything you could.” She opened her eyes to look at Ibiki who had just entered the room.

“Maybe.”

Ibiki walked over to her, noticing Shikamaru touching her hand, he put his own on her shoulder and gave her a firm but gentle squeeze.

“You did.” Ibiki gave Shikamaru a look, making the Nara remove his hand from the girl’s slowly.

“I’ll… let you guys talk.” The boy walked out of the door leaving the two interrogators alone. Despite what he wanted, he knew they needed privacy. He’d see how she was doing later.

Once she couldn’t feel Shikamaru’s chakra she spoke again. “When’s the funeral?”

Ibiki sighed sitting next to her on the bed. “Today, you don’t have to attend.”

She shook her head. “I need to.”

Ibiki knew that trying to convince her otherwise was impossible so he nodded and stood up pulling out a scroll.

“That shirt is a horrendous color.”

That made the girl crack a small smile, momentarily forgetting all her problems. “I’m one to agree.”

He nicked his finger and dragged it against it in a puff of smoke appeared a brand new black trench coat.

“Here.” He held it out for her to take.

The girl took it and slipped it on. She zipped it up and played with the collar to help flatten it out. She had a content smile on her face.

“Thanks, Dad.” 

Ibiki’s eyes widened a fraction. Shingami clearly didn’t notice her slip up and walked over to the table with all her little gifts. She lifted up the hilt again and sighed.

“I’ll have to get a new one soon, I’m gonna miss this one.”

Ibiki pulled himself together. “At least you can keep the piece you have, and you have your old one.”

Shingami held it with her left hand and with her other hand she lifted up a strawberry and took a bite. The sweetness coated her tongue, They were perfectly ripe. 

After she finished that strawberry she pursed her lips and sighed once again. “Let’s go, I don’t wanna be late.”

She watched ibiki put all her gifts into the same scroll he had gotten her coat out of and slipped it into his pocket to take out later. 

“Let’s go.”

Ibiki watched Shingami from the corner of his eye. She really had grown, since he’d first taken her under his wing. A smirk crossed his face.

‘She called me ‘Dad’...’