[Open] What a Troublesome Day...

[mendouksei]

It was over. He knew that much. The Juubi was charging up it's attack, and then... there were the clouds. Beautiful clouds, so peaceful and boring. No war, just the relaxation of his friends in the sky. But his mind knew better. He hadn't died, he was sure of that. The grass under him was too comfortable for it to be purgatory plus he didn't hear the combined demonic symphony of his mother, Ino, and Temari screeching in triplicate for him to work. But was it heaven? If it was, where was Asuma-sensei? Too many questions, that technically required answers, but he was so comfortable here, in the middle of a training area where no one would ever come across him... right?

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[sarutobiskid]

He sighed as he wished for a cigarette again. Damn Kakashi for hiding his smokes. And making him go out for walks. He nagged worse than Kurenai sometimes, but he'd never say that to his friend.

Asuma smiled as he looked at the familiar sight of Shikamaru lying down, staring up at the clouds, despite the chill in the air that lingered from the winter weather. Okay, so he was bigger, which meant he was from the future, but he hadn't changed much from his quick observation.

"You're going to catch a cold and then Ino-chan's going to be pissed when I have to drag your ass to her for healing."

[mendouksei]

The cigarette was already in his mouth and lit when he heard the voice. OK it was official, this was heaven, as he turned and spied his sensei. He was never so glad to see anyone before, that he gave into his first response and jumped up to hug the man, tears steaming down his face. "Asuma-sensei!!"

[sarutobiskid]

Asuma sighed as he saw his favourite student smoking. "When did you start this, hm?"

Although, that didn't stop him from hugging the boy back.

[mendouksei]

He held the hug for a solid minute, before whispering in his sensei's ear. "If you ever tell anyone I did this, I will hire Naruto to prank you for a year." He then backed off the hug, and chuckled abit, coming back to the question about the cigarette. "When you... when..." He didn't have the heart to tell Asuma that he'd died.

[sarutobiskid]

He patted the boy's shoulder. "Look, we don't hug. Everyone knows that. We leave that to that idiot Gai and his team. Now, this," he said as he pointed to the cigarette in Shikamaru's hand, "you don't need that. Because if I have to hear Kakashi's bitching about someone smoking in his apartment again, I'm going to set him on fire in his sleep."

[mendouksei]

He blinked in confusion at that statement. "Let's just say there were some reasons for it." He said simply as he put the cigarette out and back in the pack for later. "So... where are we, Asuma-sensei?"

[sarutobiskid]

"From what I gathered from Ino-chan and Kakashi, this place is called Michi no Sato. It snatches shinobi from different times, places and realities and dumps us all together. It's not in a constant state of tension like Konoha and it's not in a war either."

He raised an eyebrow for a minute. "I think Ino-chan and you are from the same time, but I'll tell you now that I'm from before Uchiha Sasuke defected from the village. So, if it happens after that, I don't want to know about it."

[mendouksei]

Shikamaru blinked at the data told to him by Asuma, and he knelt down, taking that thinking pose of his. 'Time travel, pulled from different times, people have no idea what's going on, combaticus interruptus, ramen (Naruto had to be involved so the noodle product had to be taken into account,) unknown village, nice clouds, all hail the Log, and why does Naruto look like the Yondaime?' Finally he came out of the thinking pose and looked to Asuma. "Before Sasuke left eh... so you are unaware that now I'm nearly beating my father in shogi then."

[sarutobiskid]

He laughed at that comment. "No, I didn't know, but it's not surprising. It was a matter of time for it to happen. You're what, 16 now? I figured you'd be wiping the floor with Shikaku by the time you were 17."

[1000tinycuts]

Well, wasn't this a familiar sight. He wasn't a girl, so that was a bit disappointing, but at least he was familiar and not another damn Naruto. She liked the blond, even considered him like a brother, but five was way more than she wanted to deal with. Especially not with Kushina-san running around the village too, making kissing faces with her husband.

"How do you expect to get any work done if you're always sleeping, you lazy bum?"

[mendouksei]

OK it was official: This was the beginning of hell. Next thing he'd know Ino would start screeching in his ear. Taking out a cigarette and lighting it he took a slow drag off of it. "Mendouksei... just my luck I die trying to save Naruto's ass, and the kami curse me by putting me in hell dealing with you."

[1000tinycuts]

"I was seriously hoping that you'd come here as a girl. And this isn't hell. Although, I'm starting to rethink that theory."

[mendouksei]

"Well that explains the real reason you tried to break Tenten's back... cause you couldn't get her that way." He said, taking another drag off the cigarette, rolling his eyes at Temari's other statement.

[1000tinycuts]

She whipped her tessen off of her back, keeping it closed as she slapped the cigarette out of his hand. "That's a disgusting habit," she replied calmly. "Besides, I prefer penises, and so does she, if the fact that she's hooked up with two Uchiha is any indication."

[mendouksei]

He raised a brow as she sent his cigarette flying, before rolling his eyes. "And who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?" He asked as he looked over at her. "So if this isn't hell... what is it?"

[1000tinycuts]

"I'm a jounin and older than you. Besides, I can't stand that crap. It's too dry in Suna to deal with it. I don't know why you idiots in Konoha put up with it."

She noticed the way he was eying her new clothes. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder shirt over her mesh top in a startling blue color that stopped above her belly button and tight black bike shorts. "It's called Michi no Sato. It's not Suna or Konoha, but there are some good things about it."

[mendouksei]

"And I'm a Chunin and still smarter than you." He muttered before standing up and brushing off his clothes. "And if it's none of our home countries, you can't pull rank on me. Troublesome woman..." He rubbed his head. "And what could be so good?"

Incoming~ I picked the worst night to sleep early I swear.

[perfectcosmos]

She'd finally found some time for a breather and had fully intended to catch up on her training with it. She hadn't, however, expected to see one of her teammates sprawled out on the grass, calm as you please, like she hadn't been hoping for months to see one of them.

Fine then.

She moved over to Shikamaru on light feet, halting when she was standing just to his side and leaning over to stare into his face. "If you don't stand up so I can hug you I'm going to kick you until you do."

And here I was about to actually take a nap... mendouksei...

[mendouksei]

Two out of Three, the Hell Option was looking more and more likely. All he needed was his mother and the Harpy Choir would be complete. "Jeeze Ino... tone the volume back and I'll get up." He noted she wasn't wearing the Shinobi Alliance uniform so he frowned even more. "Why are you out of your uniform...?"

[perfectcosmos]

She pounced forward and hugged him tightly enough to give him issues breathing. "No idea what you're talking about, so you're either an alternate timeline or future. Not really caring right this second."

[mendouksei]

He caught the flying blonde and he hugged her back gently, wondering just what he'd missed that would cause Ino to be this emotional. "Ino, you act like you wern't just fighting at my side..." But then her other words hit him and he frowned. "So you don't remember the Juubi about to shoot us then?"

[perfectcosmos]

She shook her head, pulling back and giving him a lopsided smile. "I got here just a few days after Sensei died."

She finally stepped back, releasing him. "It's been months since then though, but he just got here a few weeks ago. He still doesn't know he died. Or that he's going to be a father or, or anything."

If anything, that seemed worse than mentioning he was dead. She'd made peace with that. This though... she still didn't know what to do with him. "Before he got here I was still thirteen to him."

[mendouksei]

Suddenly understanding her need for a hug, he actually returned it, comforting one of his best friends as she remembered their shared pain. "Then you should know we got revenge for him, Ino-chan." He said softly before stepping back and listening to her.

"Yeah, better to keep him in the dark, especially as Kurenai-sensei isn't here to tell him about his son." He sighed and rubbed his head a little bit. "So if you're from before the war started, and Asuma-sensei's from way before that, what next, do we have Naruto as the Sixth Hokage or a loyal Uchiha Itachi floating around somewhere? Or worse, my mother?"

[perfectcosmos]

"No, but we used to have a girl Naruto. She was with Neji. Who is now with a Girl Sasuke. Who I think is uh, thinking about coaxing Neji into being improper for my sake." She gave him a sheepish smile. "As for Itachi... There's one who was the Godaime back where he's from and he sort of took over being Kage of this place, to say nothing of the others. One of the Narutos has been pretty closely helping kage get an Academy going though."

She paused a beat. "I find Orochimaru more disorienting myself to be honest with you."

[mendouksei]

Yeah this required the thinking pose. Settling in, he ran it in his head. 'Time travel, pulled from different times, younger Ino, female Naruto, combaticus interruptus, the Flying Spaghetti Monster (somewhere that Noodly Appendage touched Naruto,) unknown location, nice clouds, Godaime Itachi, Female Sasuke, Ino and Neji of all people... Neji's fated to have issues with blondes, all hail the Log, and why does Naruto look like the Yondaime?' He finally released the thinking pose and stood up again. "So tell me what it will take to let you let me get back to watching the clouds... cause all of this sounds way too troublesome."