Title: The Shirt On My Back
Description: It was an eerie coincidence that five unique shinobi had such congruent similarity. It's all about what you have, not what you need.
Rating: T
Warnings: One tiny spoiler lingers for non-manga readers.
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, the Kakashi Gaiden would've been aired instead of hideous fillers, KakaSaku innuendos would be overwhelming, and Hayate would be resurrected to frolic with Genma. And maybe Raidou as well..
Genma had his senbons. He could bite into the metallic needle until all his pain was numbed.
Gai had his spandex. The flexible green ensemble made the taijutsu master feel invincible.
Shizune had her common sense. The knowledge made her feel secure.
Kakashi had his porn. He could hide behind the precious text when things became too real, too familiar.
Asuma had his cigarettes. It was self-explanatory.
Genma had his lecherousness. He could hide his real thoughts behind crude comments.
Gai had his youthful boasts. He sometimes needed reassurance, himself.
Shizune had her loyalty. It helped to have a confidante.
Kakashi had his mask. He didn't need a reminder of his father.
Asuma had Kurenai. The ruby-eyed kunoichi always made him feel a bit more human.
Gai had his prodigy. The youthful 'mini-me' made him have a purpose other than an assassin.
Genma had his array of women. It helped to fight off those lonesome nights, it made him feel alive.
Shizune had Tsunade. The slug princess kept her sane.
Kakashi had the misshapen Team 7. They helped him realize that company wasn't always a burden.
Gai had his rivalries. It was a lovely distraction.
Genma had his luger. It was a perfect distraction.
Shizune had her mentor's gambling habit. It was a much-needed distraction.
Asuma had shogi. It was a preferred distraction.
Kakashi had his memories. He needed a distraction.
Shizune didn't have all the answers.
Genma didn't have a stable relationship.
Asuma didn't have healthy lungs.
Gai didn't have modesty.
Kakashi didn't have closure.
Asuma had the sweet release of death.
Genma had the release of intoxication.
Shizune had the release of frustration.
Gai had the release of insanity.
Kakashi had the release of ANBU.
Asuma had left loose ends.
Genma had left no strings attached.
Shizune had left her wisdom.
Gai had left his assurances.
Kakashi had left his impression.
o-o-o
A/N: A dribble-drabble with the concept of having. I wanted to include more but how far can I go with one past participle? I wanted to keep this constant with the opening lines so this'll have to do.
Why did I have Genma, Gai, Shizune, Asuma and Kakashi as the main characters? I don't know myself, but all seem to have a bit of baggage, whether pronounced or not. I had Kurenai in here too, but she's too unfamiliar to me and it seemed like I had too many characters. I thought everyone pretty much knew these characters so I thought it would make interpretation of this oneshot easier.
I may make a sequel with the concept of wanting and needing, but I probably won't. This is a one-time thing despite the tantalizing temptations.
I think this oneshot makes a greater impact at the end. The beginning is a little wishy-washy to me with the explanations. But whatever! I'm done for tonight.
Review if you like. I just needed to get this out of my head!
- - H. 92