Shikamaru had been looking for you for hours after hearing you had returned to from a dangerous mission outside the village. It was a ritual you two had but you didn't follow through on checking in with him this go around. He stopped at your family compound first. You weren't there; in fact your parents hadn't even known you were home yet.

You weren't in any of your usual spots either. It concerned the Nara heir. This wasn't like you. Had the mission gone bad? Were you okay?

"Hey! Shikamaru!"

He turned at the sound of his name to see Naruto. He turned, putting his hands in his pockets. "Naruto," He greeted the Uzumaki loudmouth warmly then cut to the chase. Naruto had been assigned to the mission with you alongside Neji Hyuga and his own teammate Ino Yamanaka. "Have you seen-"

Naruto cut him off, face somber. The blonde Jinchuriki already knew what was going to be asked. "With Kakashi-Sensei."

Shikamaru furrowed his brow. It wasn't often he saw you around Kakashi of all people outside of missions. He stayed silent.

Sensing Shikamaru wasn't gonna say anything, Naruto spoke again. "Team Seven training field."

Nodding, Shikamaru bid his blonde friend farewell and traveled by tree hopping to the training field that Kakashi's team had been using since the Genin days. He stopped on the tree branch overlooking the training grounds.