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Kakashi was in peril. Okay, maybe not him but something was going on with the Genin. More specifically… the Nara, Shikamaru.
He’s concerned to put it short, it doesn’t seem like it’s physical pain, but he knows from experience that emotional pain can hurt more. It seems to be something emotional.
Naruto had left on a mission with Sasuke and Sakura, traveling somewhere with Asuma. It had been some type of exercise the Hokage recommended so the Genin could feel safe with all of the Jounin-sensei. Shikamaru seemed to have a problem with that.
Kakashi had gone to Shikaku with concerns about how Shikamaru had been acting up since Team 7 left, and Shikaku practically jumped to his feet before swearing.
Apparently, it had to do something with their clan’s Justus and something about the shadows having somewhat a kind of their own. Well, you learn something new every day! Apparently, it was a Nara family secret and the shadows would only act out when someone close to the shadow wielder left.
Which was weird, all things considered.
Everyone who could be considered close to Shikamaru was still in Konoha, well, except for Asuma, but he had never lashed out like this when he left in other missions.
Then, it seemed that Shikaku had something close to a breakthrough. He stood up from the chair Kakashi sat him on and slowly brought a hand up to his mouth.
“Oh…” He muttered. That can’t mean anything good. Kakashi leaned forward and looked up at Shikaku in curiosity.
“Ne? What is it, Shikaku?” He blinked owlishly for a moment before slowly bringing his hand down.
“The secret… There's a legend that my father told me that’s been passed down from heir to heir. Sometimes, a special person is born in the Nara clan. And that special person doesn’t have control over who the shadow claims special. The shadow chooses someone to latch on to…” Shikaku grabbed the back of his chair before taking his seat once again. He looked troubled. Kakashi cleared his throat and got ready to leave before the Nara spoke.
“Keep an eye on him. A close eye. His shadow may take control of his body to drag him to his special person, whoever it may be.” Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the end of his words.
“Shouldn’t it be obvious? Someone Shikamaru is at least a bit close with?” He suggested, Shikaku shook his head.
“The shadow has a mind of its own, it could choose anyone, it doesn’t matter if Shikamaru is close with them or not. It could even be someone he doesn’t know.” Kakashi paled. Oh boy, this just got a lot more complicated…
“Alright Shikaku-san, I’ll keep an eye on him.” He smiled with his eyes and opened the door, waltzing out.
“Close the door, Hatake!” Kakashi did a roundabout, his expression never changing as he closed the door and continued walking.
“Alright… keep an eye on Nara and try and figure out who his shadow latched on to…” He could do this with his eyes closed. Shikamaru wouldn’t be going anywhere, especially because he was in charge of their team now.
He turned a corner, about to go and find a place to eat before he zips behind a tree. Shikamaru was there, and strangely enough, he was eating at Ichiraku’s. The boy seemed just as surprised to find himself there as Kakashi was.
“Ah geez… I don’t even like ramen, what am I doing here?” He muttered to himself, looking down at the steaming bowl in front of him.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes and hummed. It was already starting like Shikaku said with the shadows taking over Shikamaru’s body.
Team seven would be back in a week, so Kakashi only hoped that they would be able to hold out. So far, his #1 suspect for people Shikamaru’s shadow could be attached to was Naruto. Surprised? Well, who else likes ramen other than him?
At the same time, though… it could still be someone they don’t know. Ramen is fairly liked, but Naruto likes it to an unusual amount.
‘Keep an eye on him… should be easy, seeing as he’s lazy and doesn’t seem fond of moving more than necessary.’ He then proceeded to watch Shikamaru stand up and walk into an alley. He jumped onto a nearby roof and peered down only to see no one. He paled.
“Shit. I already lost him…” Kakashi said as he looked down at the empty alley. He pulled back and sighed before making a sign with his hands and disappearing.
He reappeared in a tree part of a forest surrounding a hill. He looked around and quickly found Shikamaru laying sprawled out on the field, a faraway expression on his face. He took in a deep breath before sighing and practically melting into the grass.
“Hmm… this is so troublesome… I can’t remember much of what I’ve done today…” Kakashi had to channel chakra to his ears in order to hear Shikamaru’s quiet mumbles.
“It’s like there’s something I just… can’t control that forces my body to move.” He seems to think over the likeness of his own words before his body goes lax.
“Maa… this is too troublesome… I probably just haven’t been getting enough sleep or something…” He murmurs at the end of his sentence before
his eyes slip closed and he’s suddenly out like a light. Kakashi leans back on the sturdy branch of the tree and throws his head back. He can already tell that this is gonna be a hassle. He stays like that for a few more moments before sighing and popping his back. He stops when he hears a wispy, light voice in the field where Shikamaru is.
“Someone..” The voice hisses out. Kakashi ducks low in the trees and lifts up his hitai-ate, revealing his Sharingan. He’s taken aback at the realization that the voice is coming from Shikamaru. Yet… it doesn’t seem to be him at the same time.
His thoughts are suddenly interrupted when he feels something snake around his ankle. Luckily, he’s able to jump away in time, but he’s still alarmed at the sudden intrusion. He looks back and briefly sees a slender shadow before it’s lunging at him once again. He jumps back and quickly yanks a kunai out of its pouch before looking around him with caution.
“I see,” Kakashi twirls around and the kunai flies through the air before being stopped by the slender shadow from before. ‘Shikamaru’ looks at the kunai thoughtfully before looking up at Kakashi with a look of false sadness.
“Kakashi-sensei? Stooping down to hurt his own students? Oh, the humanity… ” Kakashi says nothing, he continues to stare at the body of Asuma’s (and technically his, for now) student.
“You… you’re not Shikamaru, are you?” The Nara chuckles, his eyes narrowing before his posture straightens.
“Oh, but I am! Just not… Well, no, I’m not Shikamaru. But I am a part of him! I’m his shadow.” Kakashi waits for the shadow to continue.
“You know, this is quite troublesome, actually. Statistically, Naras are extremely smart, and because of that, they all have something to ground themselves. Something to stop them from getting in their own head.” The shadow looks up at Kakashi with dark eyes.
“Or, well, it’s supposed to be something. Yet… There's a legend. ‘The strongest Nara to be born will wield these powers unforeborn. This child wield not over dark of he. In dark, the chosen of light settles with thee.’” The shadow looked at Kakashi as if this rhyme was the key to everything.
“Do you understand?” Kakashi ponders over the riddle for a few more moments before shaking his head.
“The stronger Nara’s are, the more dangerous the shadows, or us, get. Shikamaru was the Nara spoken about in the legend. He has no control over what the ‘light’ is in the rhyme. I’m meant to find the light.” Kakashi’s interest peaked.
“Well… do you have any idea of who it could be?” He tilts his head to the side. The shadow shakes its head immediately.
“It’s supposedly supposed to be someone that intrigued me, but I’m quite curious and therefore I am intrigued by quite a few people…” The shadow’s quiet voice fades into murmurs and Kakashi sweatdrops as the Nara began to sway on the branch he was standing on.
“It seems that Shikamaru is trying to wake up.” The shadow looks up at Kakashi with a soft smile that immediately sharpens.
“And by the way, Kakashi…” The eyes of the body are beginning to clear into the gray color of Shikamaru’s.
“I do know who our fixation is, and I have zero intentions of revealing their identity to anyone aside from father.” Kakashi’s eyes widen as Shikamaru’s body begins to lean back. The shadow grins deviously one last time.
“Goodbye Copy-cat.”