ext_289190 ([identity profile] toobothersome.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] damned_institute 2009-09-25 11:19 pm (UTC)

'Friend' was a strong word, and Shikamaru hesitated. Did he consider the other Konoha-nin friends? Some, like Chouji, fit the word without question, and he guessed he cared about Ino (girls were complicated; you never knew where you stood with them) but as for team seven, he wasn't sure. He knew he could rely on them, which was what mattered, and he'd never really considered more. Naruto was a friend. Sakura? She was such a pain in the ass, but he guessed he liked having her around. Contrary to what the ninja probably thought, Shikamaru's opinion of Sai had increased dramatically after the night before. But Kakashi? He was a leader, and Shikamaru trusted him (almost) without question. Calling him a friend implied that they were equals, and that wasn't the case.

"It's not the same in our worlds," Shikamaru finally said after a lengthy moment of thought. We have friends, yeah, but we also have responsibility and duty, and we've been trained since before we could walk to focus on the mission. If I lie around--and trust me, I'm the laziest ninja in my village--others could get hurt. And if any other ninja slacks off too much, the entire village could be in jeopardy." It had taken him a while to learn that.

It seemed like Shikamaru had been talking a lot these last few days. Normally, he had people to talk for him, but here, he was essentially alone when it came to stuff like that. "Kakashi won't make me do anything I'm not up for, but I'm not physically injured, and my physical ability's never been much of a concern. I'm the team's strategist. As long as I take my own weaknesses into account when planning, it won't factor into my duty."

Just an hour ago, he'd told Sai that he was incapable of working, and he'd planned to tell Kakashi the same thing. Now, he had to try, especially after reading the bulletin board. As long as the jounin was aware of his situation, Kakashi would catch any mistakes before they became dangerous.

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