Shikamaru P.O.V

I was walking down the road hands in my pockets, I just finished my mission early, it was a pain, Tsunade always working me to death, I sighed I looked at the clouds, they were so nice today but I couldn't just sit down to watch them, what a drag

I didn't bother hurrying to go back home, I'll just be greeted with more troublesome things, like reports, paperwork, but worst of all his troublesome mother and troublesome teammate, I sighed again

After a few minutes of walking, I heard rustling in the bushes, I grabbed my kunai out of pure instinct and put my guard up waiting for an attack, but all I heard was whimpering, I narrowed my eyes in confusion, I slowly walked over to the bush were the noise came from and peeked

My eyes widened at what I saw, a kid about 6 or 7 years old, where covered in blood, scratched and bruised, I leapt from him, and saw that he was still breathing good, I carefully took him in my arms

And leapt from the tree, being careful not to make him lose more blood, I heard coughing I looked down and saw the kid opened his eyes a bit "Wh-Where am in?" "Don't talk kid, you're going to be okay" he looked at me for a few minutes and then closed his eyes

His breathing was becoming rigid, and short I cursed, Konoha was 6 meters away, where the hell was a medic when you needed one, I leapt faster than I ever before, at the same time, praying that I'll make it

(Meanwhile in Suna)

Temari P.O.V

"You want us to go on vacation!" we were currently in the kazekage office, Gaara in his desk not bothering to look up at me, while me and Kankuro where in front of his desk confusion etched on our faces

"Yes Temari, I want you and Kankuro, to take a vacation in Konoha for two months at least" it was Kankuro's turn to speak "Why that long Gaara?" he sighed, put down his pen and finally looked at us

"Because the two of you need a break, whenever I see the two of you, your either taking missions, patrolling, doing paperwork or anything that do not relate to resting and relaxing, were at peace but the two of you seemed to be at war, when I look at you"

We sweat dropped at Gaara but it was true, but I wasn't giving up that easy "But Gaara what about you, you have more work than us" he just looked at me, not "I am the Kazekage Temari it is my duty"

"But-" "No buts Temari if you will not take this request from your brother, then you will obey this request from your Kazekage, is that clear" I mentally cursed the day Gaara became Kazekage, I sighed knowing we can not disobey the Kazekage

We just nodded "Good, you may now leave and pack, the two of you will leave tomorrow" we nodded again, Kankuro was the first to leave, giving Gaara a thank you, he tried to smile but we could tell there was something in his mind

I stayed there a bit longer, looking at Gaara, actually glaring at Gaara but he seemed to be unaffected, I sighed and was about to head to the door when "Temari, I hope you're not angry with me, you and Kankuro are the only family I have left, I don't want to see the two of you pass out because of work"

I turned around and smiled at him, I circled Gaara's desk and gave him a sisterly hug, in the past if someone did this, it was going to be their death wish but, it just shows how much we became a family

He returned the hug "I know Gaara, thank you" I broke the hug, and smiled at him, he smiled a small smile, I walked over to the door but stopped "Gaara, make sure you don't overwork yourself too"

I heard a heart melting "Thank you nee-chan" I was so happy, it wasn't everyday Gaara called my nee-chan, so I treasured every moment of it

I was in my room, getting ready to pack, even though Gaara wants us to take a break and just relax, couldn't he pick any other village other than Konoha, it wasn't like I hated it, it was even like my second home to me, since I always traveled back and fourth

And I have great friends there but…. I can't believe I'm saying this, it's because of a certain pineapple-headed Konoha ninja, were not enemies or anything actually he was my best friend there

But the real reason I don't want to go is that somehow I Sabaku no Temari fell in love with the most laziest ninja, without a single drop of motivation, Shikamaru Nara

I didn't know when it happen, because if I did I would have prevented it, I sighed, my packing wasn't done yet and dinner is about to begin, curse him for evading every single damn thought in my mind

Little did she know her brother Kankuro was also having thoughts of a certain kunoichi

(Bach in Konoha)

Shikamaru P.O.V

I burst through the hospital doors, I saw Sakura sitting on the front desk, "Sakura!" she looked at me and her eyes widened, she jumped out of the front desk, and ran towards me, I was about to explain when she cut me off

"No time, bring him to the bench, there isn't anytime to bring him to the I.C.U" I carefully laid him in the bench and let Sakura do her job, my heart was beating so fast from the leaping and anxiety

Never in my entire life have been this nervous before, the only times I was nervous was at the beginning of big missions and the time where Chouji was at a fatal state after the Sasuke retrieval mission, I didn't even know the kid

After a while I noticed that Sakura was getting, tense and I could tell her narrowing her eyes, like she was angry about something, I hope not because I certainly don't want to deal with an angry Sakura

After what seemed like hours, she got up, "Come on, let's get him to a room" I nodded I took the kid in my arms, the wounds were gone, you could see a bit of scratches left but it was small

We headed upstairs, I noticed there were few nurses around "Where are the other nurses?" Sakura was leading me to the kid's room while writing something down in a pad she got from the desk "Some nurses are currently out right now, but they'll be back"

"Here's his room" he opened to a room, what seem, to be a fairly normal hospital room, "You could put him there, but gently" I nodded and obeyed, "So what happen?" asked Sakura who was currently making the kid comfortable

I sighed and started explaining that I found the kid injured, and then me bursting to the door, I could feel Sakura radiating killing intent, I shivered, how troublesome, I forgot all of my female friends have soft spots for kids

Especially cute little kids, like the kid here, but I could feel there was something more to it, "I want to tell you his condition but I should tell the Hokage first" "Why?" I was puzzled did something happen?

She just sighed, she looked at me with such sadness, anger and sorrow, that shut me up "Well, I'm going to the Hokage to tell my mission report "She nodded "Yeah that will be good" we left the hospital and started walking to the Hokage tower, noting how Sakura still had that angry look in her eyes

When we reached the Hokage tower, Sakura knocked on the door and we hear a strong "Enter" when we did the smell of sake hit us, it wasn't strong but it was there, we looked at the Hokage, her desk was filled with paperwork

She had a scowl to her face, while Shizune was by the desk, with Tonton in her arms, "Ah, Shikamaru I trust you're mission went well" I nodded, she nodded back then she turned to Sakura "Sakura what are you doing here?"

She straightened up "Hokage-sama, Shikamaru found a boy half-death, risk of underweight and dehydrated" my eyes widened and my mouth slightly, who the hell would do that to a kid!

By the looks of it the Hokage and Shizuna were also shocked, they always saw kids without parents but kids getting abused! It wasn't new but that was still shocking, the Hokage recovered from shock and turned to me "Where did you find him and do you know who his parent's are?" I shook my head

"Sakura did you heal him?" Sakura nodded, she sighed deeply but there was something I'm missing "Hokage-sama, is there something I'm missing?" she looked at me, "You saved the kid right?" I nodded

"Kids like that you usually get abused" I winced at the word 'abuse' she continued "And those who get abuse have psychological trauma, they won't trust anyone, if were going to give him to an orphanage he's only going to have trouble there, and bad memories"

I nodded now understanding the situation clearly, she sighed again "Lets hope the best when he wakes up, but by the looks of it we have to expect the worse" she put her arms in her desk and started thinking

"Does he have chakra, Sakura?" "Hai, Hokage-sama" she nodded, and lean in her chair "I guess we have to wait until the kid wakes up, Shikamaru be there when he does" I looked at her puzzled "You saved him, he might trust you even a little" how troublesome but I nodded

I was sleeping in my bed when I heard knocking, I got up, and muttered a troublesome, who the hell would wake me up this early, I opened the door and was greeted with a loud "SHIKAMARU!" from Naruto

"You're noisy Naruto, and what do you want?" I looked at my friend, by the looks of it, he was in a hurry, "The kid you saved woke up and he's starting a fuss" I narrowed my eyes, impossible it's only been a day

"Okay, I'll take a shower and dress first" "Hurry up, Sakura-chan and Obaa-cha are pissed" I sighed troublesome, now I have one of the most deadliest Kunoichis angry, what a drag

After a quick shower and dressing in my Chuunin attire, I ran as fast as I could to get to the hospital, when I arrived at his room, I saw a very angry Sakura and a very angry Tsuande "What the hell took you so long?"

I was about to answer when Tsunde caught me off "Never mind, the kid woke up we tried talking to him but he just causes riot, he's like a ninja, you're the only one who could talk to him" "Why me?" this day was getting too troublesome

"Just go" Sakura pushed me in the room, I stumbled a bit but I regained my posture and looked at the room, it was a mess, clothes were scattered, the vase was broken, and then my eyes landed on the small child, which was currently occupying bed

He was still in dirty clothes, so they were trying to make him change, then I examined the kid from head to toe, he had spiky indigo hair that was pointing a bit to the right, fair skin and I could tell he had dark blue eyes

I finally walked over to him, I saw him tense, and by the looks of it readying himself for a fight, I sighed and held my arms up "I don't want to fight kid" he narrowed his eyes a bit, I felt him examining me.

After a few minutes of silence his eyes relaxed a bit and his tense shoulders dropped but I could tell he was still on guard "You, you're the one who saved me right?" I nodded he looked at the window, I grabbed a chair, and made myself comfortable, by the looks of it I'll be here for a while

"So who are you kid?" he looked at me, I saw the eyes of Naruto when he was a kid "Ikuto, thank you for saving me" after a few minutes of silence Tsunade and Sakura came in, he was tense again, ready to attack

"Ikuto it's fine, there not going to hurt you" he looked at me and then at Tsunade and Sakura, he relaxed, but we could tell he wasn't convinced, "So your name's Ikuto ha?" he nodded

"Ikuto-kun, why won't you allow us nurses, to dress you, since you're body is still in pain" Sakura was picking up some of the clothes on the floor, all the while coming closer to the boy but she backed to the wall seeing how tense the kid is

After Sakura said those words, I saw guilt in his eyes, he looked down on the bed "I didn't know, no one ever dressed me before" the atmosphere became tense at that, there was only one question on our minds

I looked at the clothes in Sakura's hands "Well, why don't you get dress, and then can you answer our questions, how about that Ikuto?" he looked at me, you could see surprise in his eyes and a hint of happiness, it was small but there

He smiled it was faint, he nodded. After I dressed him, (he always tensed up when Sakura came near him, so I didn't have a choice), he looked clean, but he smelled a bit

I sat down and put my arms on my knees "So can you tell us what happened, Ikuto" he looked down at the bed, and it was like I was staring at Naruto when he was a kid, the eyes of sadness and sorrow, even though he tried to hide it, it was there

"Can I trust you?" we were shocked by his response, but I guess that's understandable, by look of how his life was, "It all depends on you Ikuto" even though Tsunade wanted answers now, the kid needed time, "You could tell us when you're ready Ikuto" Sakura added, her smile a hopeful smile, he shook his head "I tell you now, all of you did save me" he took a deep breath

"Where do I start, I guess I can start, when I was born, my dad died because of me….. so ever since then my mom hated me" I could feel this was not going to go well

How Troublesome