Title: Shadow
Author: Simply Kelp
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.
Rating: pg
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.
A/N: (I think Konohamaru might have ADD...) here's a bit more Moegi, but I'm trying to get ideas to give her a speaking part coming up soon.

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Present

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Today was Konohamaru's birthday, and, for some reason, Shikamaru found himself in Konohamaru's house. He was sitting at the table with Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon. Hanako was in the kitchen putting candles in Konohamaru's cake.

Moegi was chatting happily with Udon, while Udon wore a serious look like he was making a great effort to understand her talk of girl-stuff.

(Shikamaru had tried to escape the inanity of it all by helping Hanako with the cake, but she quickly shooed him out of the kitchen.)

After a moment in which Konohamaru pulled a string loose from his scarf, stared at the wall, and tapped a song on the table, Shikamaru took a small, rectangular and crudely wrapped package from his vest pocket, and set it in front of Konohamaru. He didn't say anything. Birthdays were always intensely awkward things in his opinion; he never celebrated his own.

"What's this?" Konohamaru asked, carefully scrutinising the package. He poked it, as if he were expecting it to house a bomb.

"Open it," Shikamaru said.

Konohamaru made short work of the wrappings. There were little bits of tape, and paper on the table when he'd finished. He shot Shikamaru an incredulous look. "A book on shogi?"

"Yeah." Shikamaru shrugged. "No offence, but you still suck at it."

Konohamaru smirked. There was a challenging glint in his eye. "Just wait," Konohamaru said. "I'm going to read this book, and then I'll kick your ass at shogi." Unfortunately, Konohamaru's excitement got the better of him, and he ended up saying this much louder than he'd intended.

"Watch your language, Konohamaru," Hanako called from the kitchen. Konohamaru blushed. Moegi interrupted her monologue at Udon so that they could both snicker at Konohamaru.

Shikamaru smirked.

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Yay, two more chs. for today~! I hope you liked these. As always, reviews are amazing, and make my day (not to mention they make me more motivated...) Thank you so much for reading~!