As the game began, Chizhao moved each piece carefully, while Shikamaru patiently guided her.
When Chizhao made a mistake again, Shikamaru instinctively took her hand, helping her place the piece in the correct position.
The moment their skin touched, both seemed to freeze.
Shikamaru was the first to react, quickly letting go, a blush creeping onto his face.
He cleared his throat, trying to ease the awkwardness:
“That… this is the correct way to move.”
Chizhao didn’t pay much attention to the touch; her mind was still engrossed in the game, consumed by thoughts of how to defeat Shikamaru and repay that insignificant debt of loose change.
As the game progressed, Chizhao’s every move became more unpredictable, as if through constant trial and error and learning, she had gradually developed her own unique style of play.
Sensing the clear change, Shikamaru’s lips curved into an appreciative smile.
“Didn’t realize this guy was quite strong.”
“Then I’ll have to get serious too.”
Shikamaru, who hadn’t felt such fighting spirit in a long time, now had a glint of excitement in his eyes as he stared intently at the board, beginning to take the game before him seriously.
The cicadas in the courtyard still chirped, and the sunlight fell upon them, casting faint shadows.
Suddenly, Shikamaru’s lips curved upwards as he placed a piece:
“Checkmate!”
Chizhao’s eyes widened, and she rubbed her hair in frustration:
“How did I lose again?!”
“It’ll be another hundred years before you can beat me.”
Feeling a bit smug, Shikamaru tidied the board in high spirits, eager to start another game.
Chizhao watched Shikamaru’s movements, then glanced at the setting sun, and placed a hand on Shikamaru’s left hand, which was picking up a piece, her eyes pleading.
“Lord Shikamaru, please, please just take my loose change… I’ve been losing all day long….”
The moment Chizhao pressed his hand, a strange flutter arose in Shikamaru’s heart, as if a little deer was bumping around.
He avoided her shimmering, clear eyes, afraid he might get lost in them.
Shikamaru subtly withdrew his left hand, then quickly slipped a “King” piece into her palm.
“You, don’t give up so easily. Practice more and you’ll definitely improve.”
His gaze drifted to the scattered dozen or so coins, and an idea sparked.
“How about this, for every game of chess you play with me, I’ll take one coin, how does that sound?”
Playing with the piece in her hand, Chizhao thought for a moment.
Finally, she nodded: “Alright, anyway, one day I’ll beat you.”
Thinking that the girl would come to him again in the future, Shikamaru’s mood brightened considerably, and he said leisurely, with his hands behind his head:
“We’ll see about that when the day comes.”
A gentle breeze blew, bringing a touch of coolness.
The lingering glow of the setting sun cast a soft filter over the elegant courtyard.
Their coin agreement added much interest and vitality to the otherwise dull chess games.
After the girl left, Shikamaru lay on his bed, his arm as a pillow, constantly flipping and examining the unremarkable coin in his hand.
Recalling everything that happened today, a strange pleasure welled up in his heart.
He felt as if he had been infected by some peculiar emotion, making him different from his usual self.
Tsk! This is such a bother.
He got up and placed the coin into a transparent glass jar, which made a crisp “clink” sound.
He tried to suppress the burgeoning emotion within his rapidly beating heart.
Then, he resumed his usual lazy demeanor, turned off the lights, and left the room.
.........
When Chizhao left Shikamaru’s house, the sky was already a fiery orange.
The stuffy air, accompanied by the occasional scent of cooking, made her stomach rumble.
She weighed the scattered coins in her hand, not expecting that such a small debt could stretch the repayment date so long.
Never mind, I’ll just treat it as playing chess for a coin.
If I can also defeat Shikamaru, that big BOSS, wouldn't that be something to brag about?
A gust of hot wind blew past her nose, carrying a sickening smell of alcohol.
A sudden force struck, knocking Chizhao to the ground, and the coins in her hand scattered, making crisp and chaotic sounds.
A strange yet familiar sense of fear arose from the depths of her heart.
It felt as if a whip would lash her at any second.
“Sorry… ugh… sorry….”
The voices in her ear gradually became clear, and Chizhao came to her senses, seeing the swaying figure walking away, and gave a self-deprecating smile.
Suppressing the uncomfortable emotion in her heart, she began to pick up the coins from the ground one by one.
A large hand quickly picked up a few coins in front of her, and Chizhao anxiously cried out:
“Hey! Those are mine….”
Looking up, she saw Kakashi in casual clothes, holding a few coins and looking at her with a lazy gaze.
“Kakashi Watermelon Big Brother!”
Kakashi froze, his brows furrowed, and his back unconsciously lowered a bit, as if to avoid any association with that name.
“If I return what I found, can you please stop calling me Kakashi Watermelon Big Brother….”
Walking home, Chizhao carefully counted the coins in her hand.
“Good, not a single one is missing.”
Kakashi, tall and slender, walked leisurely with his hands in his pockets, his lazy right eye glancing at the little girl beside him, his voice muffled by the black mask, drifting faintly in the evening breeze.
“Are these coins very important to you?”
She put the coins into her bag and looked up at the listless Kakashi, who stood in stark contrast to the vibrant sunset behind him.
“Sort of. Each one is a promise to be repaid to someone.”
“A promise…”
Kakashi murmured softly, his tone filled with a long, somewhat regretful wistfulness.
“Did Big Brother Kakashi ever make a promise with someone?” Chizhao asked, knowing the answer.
“I did….”
He paused, a dim light flashing in his eyes:
“But I couldn’t keep it….”
Immediately after, he regained his gentle expression, bending slightly, his face kind:
“So you mustn’t be like me; you must always keep others’ promises.”
“Even if it costs your life….”
The meaning of this sentence was self-evident; Kakashi must still be deeply remorseful for not having protected Rin.
“If a promise requires risking one’s life to fulfill, is it still a promise to oneself?”
This question made Kakashi’s eyes narrow slightly, and ripples spread in his heart.
From the moment he embarked on the path of a Ninja, Kakashi had already disregarded life and death.
One could say that once one became a Ninja, life was no longer within one’s control; active sacrifice had long become an unshakeable creed for Ninja.
Just as Obito sacrificed his life to save him, and Rin sacrificed her life for the Village.
And he, however, failed to keep his promise and lived on alone….
After taking Chizhao home, Kakashi sat by the riverbank, watching the flowing water, and Sakumo Hatake’s figure reappeared in his mind.
The will of fire… huh?