Love has Loss
From an early age, aspiring shinobi and their families are warned of the deadly situations one may face as a ninja. They are trained to prevent, serve, and most importantly survive encounters with hostile entities that occur within a shinobi's career. Jonin senseis and the Academy are made to guide young genin as they stumble and learn along the way, becoming proficient in all areas needed to thrive as a ninja, no matter the path they choose to take upon becoming chunin and possibly later jonin. As they grow in size and skill, shinobi are reminded by instructors or simply reality itself that death is a factor of being a ninja, not all lives are saveable including oneself. No one had known this better than Asuka Aikawa.
Many say that with time, wounds heal. Others say that some pains never disappear, forever echoing within a person till their final breath in this world. Shikamaru was adamant as he stood before the grave of his second wife that the wounds that came with losing one's life partner would never cease in exuding pain nor heal. The world following the months of Asuka's untimely death had been one of the hardest times in the Nara's life, possibly even more than losing his father and Asuma-sensei. He knew something had been wrong when only Konohamaru, Mugino, Gaea, and Kajirumaru were reported to be at the village gates in less than stellar conditions, with the young Sarutobi needing surgery. It had been Gaea who tearfully informed not only him but Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi of Asuka's sacrifice, of her acting as a decoy while the rest of their squad was able to escape to safety. Her words shattered his world into a million pieces and eight months later Shikamaru still was working at finding all the pieces.
The clearing of Asuka's last stand had been a scene that the brilliant Nara would never be able to erase from his memory. Shuriken and kunai were scattered all about, with countless rogue shinobi laying about lifeless in pools of their own blood, but he hadn't cared about that. All he had cared about was the slumped form of his wife, tied to a tree with various wounds decorating her injured form. What made the scene even more damning was the missing head between her shoulders and the bloodied necklace that Asuka never removed in any circumstances laying in her blood soaked lap, with her wedding ring bent and digging into the flesh of her ring finger. Shikamaru cried out in agony at the sight, clutching onto Asuka's mutilated form as if his life had depended on it. It had taken both Sai and Kakashi to remove him along enough for Naruto to cut her loose, his close friend crying as he took Asuka, his first friend and surrogate sister, into his arms.
Informing Temari nearly broke him. The blonde, much like himself, had been inconsolable upon hearing that their wife, their soulmate, had been killed. Temari had beaten his chest nearly black and blue before she had collapsed into his arms, sobs violently wracking her body as their new reality began to set in. Their wife wasn't coming home ever again, they were never going to have another kiss, hug, argument, nothing. That reality was deafening and it was one that not just the two of them were failing to cope with, but their son as well.
Shikadai at first had done his best to deny what had transpired for the longest time and actively acted out in hopes of numbing the pain he was experiencing. The eight year old was in fight after fight, detention after detention, and had completely shut himself off from his friends, extended family, and Shikamaru and Temari respectively. It took nearly three months for their son to accept that his nari wasn't coming back and the fallout that came with that realization had been thoroughly devastating yet healing at the same time. Kiba had been the one that Shikadai finally opened up to, the boy finally crying for the first time since learning of Asuka's passing. He was now undergoing weekly counseling at the hospital to assist him in coping, much to the couple's utter relief, and both Gaea and Kajirumaru were assisting in his slow but steady recovery.
Now their family, after nearly a year of Asuka being gone, was finally finding its footing. All of Asuka's belongings had been packed away into storage months ago by their friends, it having been too much for either Shikamaru and Temari at the time, and her photo had been placed upon the family mantle beside Asuma-sensei, Shikaku, Rasa, Karura, Kaida, and Asahi. They were still adjusting to the extra space in their bed and at the kitchen table, with tending the garden that had been their wife's pride and joy. Shikamaru, much to own surprise, had been the one to undertake the responsibility of maintaining said garden, spending hours upon hours of his little free time tending to it, imagining that Asuka was happily working alongside him as he worked. Temari now volunteered weekly at the Aikawa clinic, having found some peace in working amongst Asuka's extended family and helping others just as their wife had done. Gaea and Kajirumaru had been Shikadai's way of connecting with Asuka, with the two companions always at the eight year old's side wherever he went. Both Tsume and Chiharu had given the boy their blessing in tending to the shadow fox and ninja dog, both women also having been greatly devastated at the loss of Asuka, seeing as how the Guardian had been their daughter or niece respectively. Even with all their coping and moving forward, Shikamaru caught himself waiting for Asuka to walk through the front door, to kiss him awake in the mornings, to light up the room as she always had done. Life without her was one he had trouble living in.
"I thought I'd find you here."
"As if Naruto doesn't have ANBU following my every move," Shikamaru's eyes remained glued to Asuka's grave as he took another drag of his cigarette, reveling in the quiet peace of the memorial yard.
The ever relaxed form of Kakashi Hatake quietly came to stand beside him, a comfortable silence growing between them as they gazed at the words etched into Asuka's memorial stone.
Asuka Aikawa, born January 1st, death January 21st. Loving wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend. Will forever be missed, but never forgotten.
A bouquet of dandelions, lilies, lavender, and black roses rest beautifully in the flower anchor, accenting the polished stone with a pinch of personality as Asuka would call it. Asuka was always decorating the graves of her father, Asahi, Kaida, and Neji whenever she got the chance, adamant in weekly paying her respects to the fallen.
Much to his utter surprise, Shikamaru was the one to break the silence, hands tucked in his pockets and lit cigarette dangling from his lips, "She always spent her Thursday afternoons visiting everyone, saying she didn't want them to be lonely. Thought I'd do the same for her."
Kakashi gave a small nod of recognition, "She was always taking care of others, an admirable trait to have."
The silence once again enveloped them, time slowly ticking by as they stood beside one another.
"Shikamaru, if it helps," Kakashi looked at him with comforting eyes. "I know Asuka would be proud of how you and Temari, for how far the both of you have come."
Taking hold of his dwindling cigarette, the Nara released the smoke flooding his lungs with a sigh, "It still doesn't make this any easier, living without her."
A firm hand on his shoulder grounded him to the moment, Kakashi stating calmly, "And it won't, not for a long time. But one day it will, I promise."
Shikamaru, as he turned to face the Copy Ninja, was promptly interrupted by two flashes of smoke appearing behind the pair, two ANBU appearing with it.
Looking at the pair, Kakashi spoke up with caution, "What is it, Hare?"
The taller of the two, Hare, kneeled in respect alongside his comrade, a feminine voice originating behind the individual's mask, "Lord Seventh requests both Shikamaru and your presence at once, Lord Sixth. He said it is a matter of life and death."
With a quick flick of his wrist, Shikamaru dropped and stomped out the butt of his cigarette with steeled determination, "Then we shouldn't keep him waiting."
The Nara swiftly teleported himself into the hokage's office with relative ease, only to be met by not only Naruto but Kiba, Rock Lee, Kotetsu, Izumo, Sai, Konohamaru, and Mugino.
A flash of smoke announced Kakashi's arrival behind, the Rokudaime looking to Naruto and the others with inquisitive eyes, "What's going on here?"
"We just received intel from Sunagakure that the Kazekage and his ANBU have finally located two separate camps of the rogue ninjas that attacked Mugino, Konohamaru, and Asuka eight months ago," Sai calmly answered from his spot beside Naruto.
Shikamaru stepped forward, replying with earnest, "Has Gaara already dealt with them?"
Naruto looked to him with wary eyes, showing that he was hiding something, "No, he hasn't-."
"Why not?! We finally find them after all this time and he's just letting them live," Shikamaru cried out, hands clenched into fists. "They killed Asuka!"
Kiba placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, dark eyes stern with warning, "We all want to catch these bastards as much as you do, Shika, trust me! Asuka meant something to all of us, but we can't go rushing in, especially with there being a potential hostage."
Looking from Kiba to Naruto with confusion, Shikamaru set his attention on the jinchuriki, "What do you mean potential hostage?"
"The Suna ANBU that discovered the campsite took note that one of the groups may have a woman with them, possibly a civilian they kidnapped during one of their raids," Naruto answered, leaning back in his chair. "Gaara has asked for our assistance in raiding the camps, seeing as how he needs a majority of his ANBU to protect the village borders. He requested everyone in this room including Temari rendezvous with his small squad at the edge of the campsite as soon as possible."
Rock Lee held his fist in the air, coal colored eyes fiery with determination, "Then let us hurry to the rendezvous site at once!"
Sai nodded, turning to Shikamaru with knowing eyes, "I have already spoken with Ino, she will watch over Shikadai while we were gone. Temari will be joining us at the western gate when we're ready."
They will finally be able to put Asuka to rest. That thought alone made Shikamaru quiver with anticipation.
Steeling himself, Shikamaru looked to Naruto with unrelenting determination, "When do we leave?"