Maybe it was because he was tired.
Or maybe, at this moment, his heart had simply been stirred by the gentle girl who seemed to have been by his side for a long time now.
Shikamaru's thoughts drifted, slipping into memories of the past—back to the very first time they met.
Because Shikamaru had lost his father early on, two people who were never meant to meet in the original flow of fate—never meant to meet in the anime—had crossed paths in real life.
Like a butterfly effect.
Back then, a depressed Shikamaru wandered into the forest alone.
And there, he found a young girl standing at the edge of despair, on the verge of ending her life.
That girl was Airi.
--
The forest was strangely quiet, but he didn't seem to mind as he wandered aimlessly.
Shikamaru sat on a fallen log, elbows on his knees, staring at the dirt like it had personally offended him.
Troublesome…
He hadn't planned to come here. His feet had just carried him forward, deeper into the trees, away from the village, away from people who kept looking at him with pity they thought he didn't notice.
A soft sound broke the silence.
A shaky breath.
Shikamaru's eyes lifted.
Ahead, between the trees, stood a girl.
She was barefoot, standing on a rock at the edge of a steep drop. Her hands trembled at her sides, fingers clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. Her shoulders were stiff, like if she relaxed even a little, she'd fall apart.
Shikamaru straightened slowly.
"…Oi."
The girl flinched.
She turned her head just enough to look back at him, eyes wide, red, and unfocused—like she hadn't slept in days.
"Don't," she said quickly, voice cracking. "Please don't come closer."
Shikamaru stopped where he was.
"…Okay," he said after a moment. "I won't."
She clearly hadn't expected that.
Silence stretched again, broken only by the wind rustling through the leaves.
"…You shouldn't be here," she whispered.
"Yeah," Shikamaru replied flatly. "I was thinking the same thing."
She blinked, confused.
"That doesn't make sense."
"Most things don't," he said. "Still happen anyway."
Her grip on herself tightened.
"…You don't understand."
Shikamaru scratched the back of his head, eyes drifting to the ground.
"Maybe not," he admitted. "But if you're about to jump, I figure I should at least complain about it first."
She let out a shaky, almost hysterical laugh.
"…Why?"
"Because if you do," he said, looking back up at her, "it'll be troublesome."
She stared at him.
"That's it?"
"Pretty much."
Her shoulders sagged slightly.
"…I don't matter," she said quietly. "No one would notice."
Shikamaru frowned.
"That's a pain to argue," he muttered. Then, louder, "But it's wrong."
Her eyes sharpened.
"You don't know me."
"No," he agreed. "But I know what it's like when people disappear."
Her breath hitched.
"My dad died," Shikamaru said plainly.
"And people keep saying things like 'be strong' or 'it'll be okay.'"
He clicked his tongue.
"Lying is troublesome."
She turned fully toward him now, tears finally spilling over.
"…Then what am I supposed to do?"
Shikamaru thought for a long moment.
Then he sighed.
"I don't know," he said honestly. "But dying isn't doing anything. It just stops everything."
He met her eyes.
"Anyone who worked hard to keep you alive? Anyone who cared even a little?"
"They didn't do all that just so you could throw it away."
Her lips trembled.
"…I'm tired."
"Yeah," he said softly. "Me too."
Another long silence.
Slowly—hesitantly—she stepped back from the edge.
Her knees gave out, and she dropped to the ground, covering her face as she broke down.
Shikamaru exhaled, tension leaving his shoulders.
"…What a drag," he muttered, walking over and sitting a short distance away. "You could've warned me you were gonna cry."
She laughed weakly through her tears.
"I'm… Airi," she said after a while.
"Shikamaru."
"…Why did you stay?"
He glanced at the sky through the trees.
"Because," he said, "if you died here today, I'd have to remember it forever."
She looked at him, eyes wide.
"…Then," she whispered, "can I stay too?"
Shikamaru shrugged.
"Yeah," he said. "Staying's fine."
--
The memory faded as quickly as it surfaced.
Shikamaru's gaze lingered on Airi in the present, and for a moment, his chest felt strangely tight.
Airi was supposed to have died that day.
He remembered what he told her then—not with grand words, but by giving her something new to look forward to.
By telling her that the people who loved her, the people who cared about her, would never want her to disappear like that.
At the very least, he told her, don't let their hard work… their feelings… turn into waste.
--
Airi Tachibana came from the Tachibana clan of Konoha.
The only reason they could still be considered a "clan" at all was because of their unique technique—a form of telekinesis that allowed them to control objects with their thoughts.
However, most of the clan members had been lost over time. Only a few remained, and their talent was nothing remarkable.
Although telekinesis sounded powerful, in reality it was almost worthless. At best, they could control something the size of a kunai, or shift an object slightly to attempt an unexpected assassination.
Because of that, the Tachibana clan never became famous.
But Airi was different.
As if by fate, the one who was never meant to live… was actually the most gifted of them all.
She could control multiple objects at once with her telekinesis—and even empower them enough to pierce through hard objects.
--
Shikamaru sighed once and pushed himself to his feet, preparing to check on Shino and Kiba's side of the battlefield.
Then...
A sharp, piercing sound split the air.
Followed by the wet, unmistakable noise of something being driven through flesh.
"Gah—!"
A low grunt echoed.
Shikamaru turned his head instinctively.
The faint smile on his face vanished.
Choji stood frozen in place.
Airi's hand was buried deep in his chest.
Her expression was completely blank.
For a moment, Shikamaru's mind refused to understand what he was seeing.
Just seconds ago, Airi had been digging through her pouch, searching for snacks for Choji.
Now her arm was piercing straight through his heart.
"Cough—"
Blood spilled from Choji's mouth, splattering across Ino's clothes. Her face went deathly pale, her eyes wide and empty as her brain struggled to process what had just happened.
Choji looked down slowly, his hands trembling at his sides. Then he lifted his gaze to Airi, shock and disbelief written plainly across his face.
Why?
His lips parted as if he wanted to speak.
No words came out.
The light in his eyes dimmed with every passing second. With visible effort, he turned his head toward Shikamaru.
Their eyes met.
Airi pulled her hand free.
Blood gushed from the wound as Choji collapsed, his eyes still wide open—fixed on Shikamaru, silently asking a question that would never be answered.
For a heartbeat, Shikamaru blanked out.
His thoughts stalled, unable to comprehend the scene in front of him.
His body trembled as he stared at Choji lying in a spreading pool of blood.
How could this be the same friend who always asked for snacks, no matter the time or place?
The one who had always stood by his side without hesitation?
"A—Ahhhh!"
Ino's scream shattered the silence.
She dropped to her knees beside Choji, lifting his head into her lap as tears streamed down her face.
"C-Choji… wake up! Choji… please…!"
Her hands pressed desperately against his chest, trying to stop the bleeding. Blood coated her fingers, but she didn't seem to notice.
No matter how much she cried out or tried to save him, the cold weight of his body told her the truth.
Choji was gone.
"You… Airi, what—"
Ino staggered to her feet, reaching toward her.
But Airi suddenly sprang backward. With a smooth, almost theatrical spin, she landed lightly a few steps away.
She spread her arms wide and dipped into a shallow bow, as if she had just finished performing on a stage.
"I hope you enjoyed it…" Airi said calmly as she straightened.
The words hung in the air, strangely misplaced. It wasn't clear whether she was speaking to Shikamaru and Ino… or to someone else entirely.
"Who are… you really?" Shikamaru asked, his eyes locked on her.
Every muscle in his body screamed for him to collapse and rest. His vision blurred at the edges. But he forced himself to remain standing.
His mind — and his heart — refused to accept what he was seeing. The figure in front of him looked like Airi… yet every instinct told him she wasn't. Maybe it was just stubborn denial.
Maybe he was trying to escape a reality he didn't want to face.
"Ohh, come on, Shikamaru-kun~ don't be so cold," Airi said, tilting her head in an exaggeratedly cute gesture.
The sweetness of her tone made Ino's expression darken instantly.
"You little bitch!" Ino snapped, lunging forward —
"Hold on, Ino. Don't," Shikamaru cut in sharply.
She turned to him in confusion, ready to protest.
But the moment she saw his face, her body went rigid. His eyes were dead serious.
A chill crawled down her spine as she looked back at Airi.
Unlike them, Airi wasn't breathing hard. Not a single tremor shook her shoulders. The wounds that should have covered her body were gone.
She stood there perfectly composed, radiating an eerie confidence.
Ino exchanged a silent glance with Shikamaru.
Understanding passed between them.
Airi noticed.
"Oh, don't worry, Shikamaru… how could I bear to hurt you?" she said with a gentle smile. "The way you're treating me right now is breaking my heart, you know~"
Shikamaru didn't respond. He stared at her in silence.
Up close, his body was trembling — whether from rage or fear, even he couldn't tell.
"Boohoo… you're no fun, Shikamaru~"
Her smile widened.
"As expected… I really hate smarty-pants."
Her voice shifted mid-sentence, the playful tone curdling into something low and menacing. A wicked grin stretched across her face.
"What the…" Ino stumbled back a step.
Shikamaru had suspected something was wrong. Even so, hearing it aloud sent a wave of cold unease through him. His stomach twisted.
Airi studied their reactions with clear satisfaction. She nodded to herself, mumbling under her breath.
"Hmm… the reactions are perfect. The drama, the timing… this could be a hit."
Then she turned back to them, smiling sweetly.
"Just like you guessed, smarty-pants. I'm not Airi… or maybe I am. I'm both and neither."
"What the hell does that even mean…?" Shikamaru rasped.
"Well, explanations are troublesome, but… let's make it simple~"
Her grin sharpened.
Slowly, deliberately, she placed a hand over her stomach and dragged it downward, her smile widening into something that could freeze blood.
"We merged," she said lightly. "More like… I ate her. So Airi is me… and I'm Airi. Get it?"
The words landed like a physical blow.
Ino's face drained of color. Her stomach lurched violently. She doubled over, vomiting as tears streamed from her eyes.
Shikamaru felt the same sickness claw up his throat. He forced it back down with sheer will, staring at the girl in front of him with naked dread.
"Wow~ that's such a scary look," Airi giggled, hugging herself and putting on a mock frightened expression.
"Y-You… monster," Ino whispered, fists shaking as she fought the terror creeping into her chest.
"Monster? How rude. How could I be a monster?" Airi pouted. "Aren't I super cute?"
She cupped her cheeks and stretched them outward, making exaggerated faces. The childish gesture only made her look more grotesque.
"Tch… you guys are no fun," she sighed at last, shaking her head in disappointment.
"When…?" Shikamaru asked hoarsely, his breath uneven as he fought to hold back the tears burning behind his eyes.
"When what? Be more specific!" Airi replied brightly, though the glint in her eyes said she understood perfectly. She was dragging it out on purpose.
"When did you… do it…?" Shikamaru forced out. His voice trembled. Even trying to form a plan — something that normally came as naturally as breathing... felt impossible.
His mind was slipping.
"Ohh… you mean when did Airi end up in my stomach?" she asked playfully, savoring each word.
Silence answered her.
The impostor shrugged, her tone suddenly casual.
"The real Airi died during the mission," she said. "In that ghost town."
Shikamaru's pupils shrank to pinpoints. For a moment he thought the blur overtaking his vision was exhaustion.
Then he felt the heat on his cheeks and realized he couldn't hold the tears back anymore.
"Ahh… uhh…"
The sound tore out of him before he could stop it. No amount of maturity or discipline could hold it back anymore.
"Shikamaru…" Ino whispered helplessly.
She wanted to reach for him, to say something... anything but her body felt locked in place. Her mind raced, trying to grasp the monster's intentions, but terror kept tangling her thoughts.
And the creature wasn't finished.
"Look at me, Shikamaru…" Airi said sweetly.
Then her voice spiked into a piercing cry.
"SHIKAMARU!!"
The sudden shift jolted his head up, and when he looked straight at her, he saw a scene he would never forget.
Airi's skin rippled like disturbed water.
Her face split.
The right side stretched into a wide, ecstatic grin, her eye curved in manic delight.
The left side collapsed into naked terror.
Tears streamed endlessly down that half. Her lips trembled, shaping silent words.
Please… don't…
It was Airi.
The real Airi.
Begging.
Her final moments were carved grotesquely into that divided face — one half laughing, the other eternally imprisoned in despair.
Shikamaru's vision smeared into white noise.
Veins throbbed violently at his temples as rage detonated in his chest. Every instinct screamed at him to move — to attack — to rip that abomination apart with his bare hands.
But...
His body refused to obey.
"Oh, she fought so hard," the impostor continued lightly, her voice perfectly mimicking Airi's.
Even the tiny details were there... the faint hitch in her breath, the fragile tremor at the edge of certain words.
"She kept saying your name," the creature said, her smile widening. "Over and over."
The crying half of her face mouthed the same word soundlessly.
Shikamaru…
"She begged me not to hurt you," the impostor went on softly. "Even when she knew she was dying. Even at the very end… she said she wanted to see you one more time."
Every syllable came in Airi's voice.
Every inflection was painfully familiar.
It was perfect.
Something inside Shikamaru cracked.
The impostor threw her head back and laughed — a wild, delighted sound that didn't belong in any human throat. The right side of her face twisted in ecstatic amusement while the left continued to weep, tears streaming endlessly.
The contrast was monstrous.
Diabolical.
She stepped closer.
Ino watched in horror, her body refusing to move.
"W-What… what do you want to do?" she whispered.
The impostor ignored her.
She stopped directly in front of Shikamaru and leaned in.
"She was so warm when I held her," Airi whispered gently. "Shaking all over in despair… hoping someone would come."
The crying half of her face trembled violently.
Help me…
"But no one came," the impostor murmured. "Not you. Not anyone."
Her smiling eye locked onto his.
"She kept apologizing," Airi continued in a voice so soft it hurt to hear. "Did you know that? Even while I was breaking her, she kept saying she was sorry… sorry for being weak. Sorry for not being strong enough to stand beside you."
Shikamaru's nails dug into his palms, skin splitting under the pressure.
The creature's voice slipped perfectly into Airi's familiar cadence.
"She said… she didn't want you to see her like that."
The weeping half mouthed the words in silent repetition.
I don't want him to see me like this…
"Haa… uhh—"
A broken sound tore from Shikamaru's throat.
Airi smiled wider.
"And do you know what her last thought was?" she asked gently, her tone unbearably tender.
She didn't wait for an answer.
"She was afraid you'd blame yourself."
A soft, musical laugh escaped her lips.
"Isn't that sweet? Even while dying, she was worried about your feelings."
Shikamaru's vision swam. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, each pulse sharp and painful.
"And now," Airi said, straightening, her split face stretching into a grotesque parody of joy and grief, "every time you close your eyes… you'll see her like this."
The crying face stared at him with endless accusation.
"Hahaha—"
"Arghhhhh!!!"
Shikamaru lunged forward with everything he had left, a raw scream ripping from his chest as he tried to tear the monster apart.
But his blurred vision couldn't even track her properly.
His hand cut through empty air.
There was nothing there.
His strength gave out mid-motion. The world tilted violently, and he crashed face-first into the ground, dust filling his mouth as darkness crept in at the edges of his sight.
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