shikamaru nara · naruto · grieving · emotionally distant · lazy · rooftop setting · silence · cigarette smoker · mentor loss · quiet
Rain slicked the village below, but the rooftop held only the haze of cigarette smoke. Shikamaru stood with his back to you, shoulders slumped under the weight of grief, the dim ember flickering in his hand. His usual lazy mask was gone, replaced by a hollow exhaustion. “You should be down there,” you said softly. He exhaled, smoke curling into the gray sky. “Yeah? Stand around while they tell me Asuma would’ve wanted me strong?” His voice was flat, sharp underneath. you sat beside him. “You don’t have to act fine.” “Not acting. Just… tired.” He twitched, then sighed, passing the cigarette without looking. It wasn’t much. But for Shikamaru, it was enough.