tsuntrader | Appointments Post

I think you proved my point anyways.

Of course, last time I was barely able to move because of dealing with something serious and making the best outcome I could out of it, he apologized. He apologized for getting upset over it and pushing me around as a result, especially since I hadn't even recovered yet.

He knew it wasn't fair to me. [Hint hint.]

[...he's trying to make his point again, but he doesn't understand the situation as well as he thinks he does.]

Has Masaomi ever explained to you why there's such a gap of trust between him and Mikado?

[...Masaomi has only explained a few things to him. The few things he has have left nothing but more questions and suspicion.

He shakes his head, but he doesn't expect Shikamaru to elaborate.]

[It's really not his business to, so he looks away and thinks of another approach.

He comes up with one soon enough.]

When Masaomi asked me to be his comrade... I said yes, but I had one condition.

[...One condition?]

My obligation to Konoha comes first, whether he likes it or not. He also agreed to those terms, and it was under that reasoning that I did what I did.

[...Which makes sense. Absolutely.

Then why is there a problem?]

...even the first time I tried that, in my world, it wasn't true. Even my own leader saw through my bullshit.

[Sometimes it would be really nice to have Tsunade around, he thinks. Troublesome as she is and everything.]

Masaomi would have to, knowing the story. It's true Hidan is a dangerous criminal from my world, but my shit with him has always been personal.

[...] How personal are we talking, here?

Absolutely.

That's even more of a reason to keep other people out of it. [He's not quite connecting the dots. Maybe he just doesn't know better, but...]

Mm. I still think that.

[Because of what he did, it was personal for Hidan too. That endless cycle of revenge Naruto talks about, and such.]

But I didn't stop there. I only shared certain plans with Masaomi and Ino... the ones I decided to act on.

[Which he didn't get to act on. The final plan was his resolve to get something from the Malnosso to remove Hidan's immortality.

He thinks of how unsatisfied he was, watching him die.]

There was more where those came from that I wasn't so forthcoming with, including ones that may have seen me dead.

Because they'd try to talk you out of them? [It's a guess, anyway. He doesn't know Ino, but Masaomi reacting that way wouldn't surprise him.]

Because they'd want to be there.

I still don't see the part where you're supposed to have consequences for this.

[...]

Regardless of all of that, my friends deserve better than the way I treated them. I didn't just omit things, and plot actions that would hurt them...
[Some other emotion crosses his face, knotted between his eyebrows. He didn't do it intentionally, but it makes him sick to realize it now.] I cut myself from them, as far as I was able.

[I cut myself from them.

That... That makes more sense. Put in those words, that...

It's something he wouldn't have understood a year ago...

...But it's something he's beginning to understand now.]

[He nods, finally conceding and keeping quiet. He's not sure how to respond to that.]

[Shikamaru's glad for that. Silver can be a smart guy, so if he still couldn't understand, there'd be more problems than just explaining things. He doesn't like telling people how they should feel.

He's still left in a rut though. How does he make up for that? Not just to Masaomi, but to Katara and Law...

He rolls the dice.]

[He focuses on the board again, watching the dice roll.

Then after a moment, he quietly speaks again without looking up at Shikamaru.] Nothing to do but keep moving forward.

Don't need to tell me that.

[He lands on a chance space and picks a card; carts himself off to jail.]

Good. [...Well that's no fun. At least it wasn't him...]

I'll sit for three turns. Then I'll figure it out.

Apologize. Keep it brief. Let it go. You can't change what you did. Move on. Don't make the same mistake twice.

[Turns one, two, and three.]

And ask for help. If anyone's eager enough to get involved in some life-threatening mess, they shouldn't be a problem with "point out if I'm cutting you out or pushing you away."

[It's straightforward, isn't it?]

Appointments Post

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