Mask Boy

stay tonight. 2

After Naruto calmed himself down, they all started eating again. Chatting full of life and comforting silence, it made Naruto extremely happy and cozy.

Once they were finished, Naruto and Shikamaru washed themselves up with the necessity and went to Shikamaru's room.

"Heyhey Shika, what do you like to do in your free time?" Naruto asked, swinging his body back and forth.

"Uuhh sleep, think, laze around, and I guess feeding the deers"

Naruto wasn't sure if he should laugh or not because it sounded too unreal like yeah he himself can be lazy but this guy is on another level. Yet, this is Shikamaru so it is not TOO surprising.

"A-anything else..?" Naruto asked again, moving so that he was leaning in front of him.

"I play shogi with my dad or my sensei sometimes, usually alone"

Naruto perked his ear at the unfamiliar name, "Shogi? What is that? Can you show me?"

"Ugh but I don't feel like setting it up right now" Shikamaru whined.

"Pleeeeaaseee! With a cherry on top!"

Shikamaru mind backtracked a bit. Naruto was now leaning even closer on him, hands grasping his shirt and chin prompted on his chest so that he was looking right up on him.

He for real did not feel like playing Shogi right now, he's way to burnt out from training today and being thrown around by his sensei but Naruto was making it hard for him to continue to deny him.

"Hhhmmm fine alright.." Shikamaru finally gave in, grumbling inaudible words while walking towards his closet, dragging his feet along the floor.

Naruto cheered to himself, excited to see what this unknown game was all about!

Naruto is lucky that Shikamaru has a soft spot for him but he doesn't need to know that.

When Shikamaru grabbed his shogi board, he walked over back towards Naruto and sat on the floor. Then he proceeded to set it up, placing all the pieces in the correct places.

Naruto joined Shikamaru in the floor, body full of curiosity as he watches Shikamaru finish up the set.

"Alright, listen well. This is a pawn, it can only move one square forward. Next is the bishop, it can move as many spaces diagonally but cannot jump over another piece. This is a rook, it can move as many spaces orthogonally but same as the bishop, it cannot jump over another piece. Then..."

Shikamaru continued his explanation while Naruto listener silently, trying his best to memorize everything that his being said. To be completely honest, he had forgotten half of it already and might've even started daydreaming.

".. and so until you the king is at a place where it cannot escape, that's checkmate. Alright now let's play"

Naruto hasn't moved an inch from his position at all, even after Shikamaru had finished his explanation. He was sitting, looking blankly at the pieces.

"What's wrong? Not feeling confident? You said you wanted to try it out but it looks like you're wimping out" Shikamaru said, yawning behind his hand and smirking right after when his mouth was out of view.

Even if that was true, Naruto still felt offended. He puffed up his chest and pointed a finger at him. With a confident tone and a determined mind, he announced,