komorebi - a naruto uzumaki love story

ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ - １９

„no need to say goodbye"

still at naruto's place

"Naruto!", Shikamaru shouts at the blonde, Naruto snaps out of his thoughts and finally looks at his friend.

"Oh, gomen, gomen. What was it again?", Naruto uses his cheery voice, trying to sound normal. Shikamaru frowns at him.

"Didn't you notice? Hanako already left.", he points out.

"Oh."

Gomen, Hanako-chan.

Shikamaru sighs once more, "Come with me.", Naruto looks at him cluelessly, "Just come."

—

Naruto and Shikamaru arrive in front of the Leaf hospital.

"Why'd you bring me here?", Naruto asks his friends.

"Just wait."

"Ah! Here she comes.", the doors open and reveal Kurenai.

"Ne? Kurenai-sensei?", Naruto exclaims with shock.

"Yeah."

Naruto moves around, observing at his sensei who was looking quite odd.

"Were you hospitalized for eating too much barbeque?! Your stomach is bigger than Choji's!", he points at her.

"She's pregnant, not fat!", Shikamaru corrects him, "Cripes, you're still obnoxious as ever."

"Huh?", he glances at Shikamaru and looks back at Kurenai, "You mean— she's—"

"Shikamaru, stop coming her so often.", Kurenai tells her student.

"Sorry, no can do. Asuma told me to do so.", Kurenai smiles at his response.

—

A few minutes later, Kurenai walks away from the two teenagers after having a small conversation. Silence took over the two good friends before one of the spoke up.

"Shikamaru, what did Asuma ask you to do?", Naruto asks his friend.

"That child will be my student.", Shikamaru answers.

"Huh?", Naruto looks at him with shock.

"Asuma entrusted that child to me.", Shikamaru looks at him as he think about the last moments of his sensei.

"I heard about Jiraiya-sama.", Naruto looks away sadly, "I lost my teacher, so it's not like I don't understand what you're going through."

"But whining and sulking isn't going to make things better.", Shikamaru looks at him with a stern face as Naruto looks at him with a frown, "We're way past that point in our lives."

"What do you mean?", Naruto asks him.

"My teacher entrusted me with many things. Some important, some petty. All sort of things. You too, right?", Naruto looks away, "In fact, you must have a ton of stuff. So don't you think it's time for us to step up?"

"Time for what?", he asks as he looks at Shikamaru.

"Time for us to become the ones who entrust.", Shikamaru responds, "It's a pain, but we can't keep complaining.", Shikamaru looks at him.