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modernart2012 · 7 years

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Family (Ghosts)

@sumigakure Halloween Event 2017

Prompt 13: Decorating for Halloween

Word Count: 1246

Rating: G

On AO3

“Ugh, what a pain.” Shikadai didn’t know why he had to hang up Halloween decorations. And with Shinki, who failed to understand what relaxation was, or how to concede with grace. Or even what fights to get involved with. What fights to pick. When to back down. How to analyze and decimate an opponent in the fewest moves possible, save energy and effort. Shinki’s only saving grace were his supposed abilities as a leader and prodigious skill with his kekkai genkai, but Shikadai had never experienced those first hand and wasn’t going to let unsubstantiated hearsay color his decisions. Like, when to take up a challenge.

Because decorating needed to be a competition. Really, he wasn’t sure why his mother and uncles kept trying to make them get along; they were completely opposite personalities and had nothing in common. At all. It was like mixing oil and water - they would sooner fall into awkward silences than hold a conversation. Too much pride, that one. Shikadai often thought about telling his cousin that Shinki didn’t need to be so worried about getting kicked out of the family for dishonor or whatever nonsense he’d conjured up in his head, but causing an actual fist fight in the house was too much of a pain and Mom would kill him. Dead. Especially for using psychological wounds against family.

“Are you even trying?!” Shinki demanded from where he was hanging cobwebs around the garden.

“No.” There was no reason to lie, Shikadai figures. “There’s no point in me competing with you, especially given the difference in our abilities. You’re taller than I am, and are too concerned with making Uncle Gaara proud to the point of recklessness.” He sighs, “It’s like you don’t realize he actually likes you and is proud of you no matter what. He’s just got some problems showing it. Probably because Granddad Rasa was emotionally distant and Uncle Gaara was being driven insane by Shukaku and being a psychotic killer for anyone to even try showing him affection.”

The garden is silent for a moment, in the odd way that is rare even for the Nara compound’s peace. Shikadai runs through his last statement in his head for a moment, then winces - maybe he was a bit too blunt there. He sighed; what a pain, “Eh, Shinki, about what I just said. I was a little too fraaaaaaank?!” Something skittered up his spine, too many legs to be anything but a bug but too large to be a bug. “Pranks -”

Shikadai is cut off by a screech of indignation. “GHOST!”

“There’s no such thing as a - ,”Shodaime’s balls, “GHOST!” They scramble back to the relative safety of the porch, watching the decorations bobbing and floating around the yard like possessed creatures of doom and darkness. “Just to check, this isn’t your magnet release right?” Shikadai has to check.

Shinki glares at him scathingly, “Do you see any iron sand doing anything? Besides Aunt Temari would kill me for using magnet release in a residential area.” Shikadai has to wince, because it’s true. “This isn’t your Shadow jutsu is it?”

Shikadai respects that Shinki has the brains to check, even though anyone who’s been around the Nara for this long ought to know what to look for. “There isn’t a shadow connecting my shadow to it’s. So no.”

“Right. So given all the facts, we can concisely conclude this is Konoha fuckery and ghosts.” Shinki declares.

“Why Konoha fuckery?” Because Hi no Kuni doesn’t have ghosts as part of it’s traditional lore - that’s a Kaze no Kuni thing. Like it taking a village to raise a child, which is the entire reason Shikadai has to suffer through frequent family visits.

“Because where else beyond Kiri or Uzushio do you find so many restless dead? Like, there’s the Kyuubi attack, and the Uchiha massacre, and then the Pain Invasion and the destruction of Konoha before the Fourth War, “Shinki ticked off on his fingers. “So Konoha fuckery, for want of better descriptor, since every new iteration of crazy starts in Konoha.”

“Says the one who’s grandfather tried sealing a bijuu in the unborn.” Shikadai has to fire back, because plenty of crazy originated elsewhere thank you very much.

“Hidden Villages, jinchuriki, Madara Uchiha, Edo Tensei, Hiraishin, the Sannin, the Sannin’s apprentices who are also crazy and scary,” Shiki starts listing again and Shikadai has to concede the point, even though that last one is technically a repeat of the whole Sannin thing.

“Troublesome.” Shikadai sighs as he crosses his arms. “Then what do you suppose we do?”

The point is made moot by the fact that the ghost decides this is the point at which to go bonkers. Even more bonkers? Whatever, as the laundry decides that going for a whirl is also acceptable and starts chasing the duo around the yard. Shikadai does his best to be a ninja and not scream. It’s only their mutual healthy ... respect for Shikadai’s mother that prevents them from taking any offensive action, or defensive beyond dodging. Nara Temari, much like her mother-in-law was a force to be reckoned with, and usually one did not like the outcome of said reckoning.

“Is this the wisest course of action, Kankuro,” Gaara asked over his cup of tea, watching his brother deftly use near-undetectable chakra strings to terrorize his nephews in the yard.

“Look, neither of them have caring siblings to look out for them - which is entirely your fault, idiots, take responsibility - so that leaves each other. Family takes care of family, so they need to have a solid foundation laid now before the rest of the world comes at them.” Kankuro twitched a string minutely, and the decorations started battering the kids. “They can fight each other all they want, don’t get me wrong, but they need to have each other’s backs in the face of adversity.”

Temari arched an eyebrow. “Caring siblings, hmmm? Is this you trying to say you want more nieces and nephews to spoil?”

Shikamaru takes one look at his wife’s face before hurrying out, “I’ll heat more water!”

Kankuro shrugs, making the laundry and other assorted items duck and bob and weave erratically. “I think you’ll find I said no such thing.”

Gaara speaks in his usual measured tone, “If you want more kids, I am sure the Council can arrange a match for you if I ask.” Temari catches the glint in his eye though, and has to swallow a giggle. Kankuro was popular with kids, for reasons unfathomable.

“What?! No!!”

“But you want more kids.” Gaara points out blithely. Even after all this time neither of his siblings could tell if he was genuine or messing with them.

“Of all of us, you’re the only one who’s failed to have kids, therefore if anyone needs to have kids at this point, it’d be you.”

“You can’t be serious; when would I have time - OH SANDAIME’S GOLD.”

Gaara and Temari whirl to where Kankuro was pointing, sand and kunai at the ready. They stare at the floating books, then turn to look at Kankuro. Temari narrows her eyes, “This isn’t you is it?”

“Absolutely not! Do you sense my chakra anywhere near that?” To be fair, Kankuro’s active chakra was out in the yard terrorizing his nephews.

Sand pokes the books flapping around speculatively, causing a minor commotion. “Then it must be - “

In horrified unison, years of sibling hood and teamwork showing through, “A GHOST.”

#sumigakure halloween event 2017 #prompt 13: decorating for halloween #I have a lot of feels about Suna and it's culture #and the sand siblings #and has no one else cottoned on to the fact Shikadai and Shinki are complete opposites?#Idk #I feel this needs to be explored more #art writes

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