The Later Times

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Any OCs belong to me.

- I -

"Father?"

He hadn't been asleep, so he was able to sit up at the soft voice, yawning tiredly as he loosened his hair and motioned for the young girl to come forward. She hurried to his side, grunting as she clutched the sheets, attempting pathetically to climb onto the bed. Her father helped her up, smiling as he stroked her dark hair. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"No." She settled in the crook of his arm, between him and her sleeping mother.

"So what brings you to my room?"

"It's Mommy's room."

"Of course it is," he sighed, settling back against the pillows. "Why are you in mommy's room?"

"I have a question."

"Ask me, Shikari," Shikamaru smiled down at the little girl, amused by her formal tone and serious scowl. Barely existent for four years and she had already managed to retain some of the most burdensome yet attractive traits from her mother. Shikamaru's eyes wandered to Temari's sleeping frame, brought back to his daughter by her sharp pinch. "Hey!"

"Touza told me his father died."

"He did." Shikamaru was cautious, inspecting his daughter's face for any trace of confusion or fear. She showed none, nothing but simple curiosity was evident on her face, so he continued. "Saving me. Chouni's dad and Inome's mom were there, too."

"He told me that already."

"I'm sorry," Shikamaru grumbled, shifting away from her perfected scowl.

"My question: why does everyone's fathers play with knives if they die?" Her eyes widened now, in a crafty manner that allowed her more desserts and a later bedtime. Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose, glancing away before gaining the courage to meet her large, blue-green eyes. "You know you will die." The tone of certainty in her voice was disturbing.

"You shouldn't want that to happen to your daddy," Shikamaru tried tickling her, pulling his fingers away at her scowl. He hadn't tried playing with her much in her life, there was always a serious air whenever he was with her, and the few times he attempted to treat her her age, she never disappointed him with taking the bait. He knew, since having children, it was a matter of time before he had to explain his dangerous work, but he never expected to have the conversation with a four-year-old. "It's not playing, Shikari. We fight. We fight to protect you and everyone in the village."

"You can't protect me if you're dead."

"I have no intention of dying any time soon."

"I'd cry if you died," Shikari continued, hugging his arm. Shikamaru paused, wrapping his arms around her, smiling to himself. She'd cried when she was a baby - she cried now, yet she often attempted to deny it, pouting and becoming mad at anyone who pointed out her shortcomings. The fact that she told him that she would cry if anything happened to him was touching. The fact that she, Shikari, the daughter who would rather hide beneath her bed than seek the comfort of her father's arms had gone to seek him out during a time of confusion and vulnerability said multitudes.

"I'll never make you cry, Shikari," Shikamaru promised solemnly, bending to kiss the top of her head. She buried her face against his side, trembling.

"Mommy fights, too."

"Yeah - but I take care of her."

"Secret promise?" She raised her face from his chest, holding up a tiny finger. Shikamaru smiled, reaching to wrap his own pinky around hers. "Promise." He'd never tell Temari that their daughter worried for them, despite her independent nature and routine denial of their importance. He'd never tell anyone that his baby girl was afraid of thunder and skipped closer to his side when strangers were near. That, he promised to keep to himself, to go untold when he smiled at her in her sleep. But his desire to protect her and his family was obvious, it went unsaid that Shikamaru would do anything to take care of them. The need to be protected wasn't a weakness - it was necessary for him in order to immobilize the enemy. One day Shikari would understand, and one day she would realize there was no shame in needing aid.

"Thank you, Daddy." She pat his cheek, her palm sharp against his face, the gesture more of a slap than any affectionate gesture. She rolled off the bed and left the room to return to her own. Shikamaru looked after her, too stunned to help her descent from the bed, instead shoving his wife awake.

"It better be light outside-"

"Shikari called me daddy!" His excitement didn't transfer to his wife, obvious by her slit eyes. Shikamaru cleared his throat, removing his hands from her shoulders.

"You realize Shikari has been speaking for years now."

"Yeah, but-"

"Don't wake me up again."

He nodded, glancing away from her scowl, mumbling to himself before sitting up, sighing lightly at the bellowing crack of thunder against the roof. He stood and left his bedroom, peeking into the nursery, glancing at the cot where his son slept before searching for his daughter on the bed. The sheets were undisturbed, as if she hadn't been in it all night. Shikamaru crouched to check beneath the bed, smiling sadly at the glistening eyes that met him from the shadows.

"Shikari..."

"I like it here."

He said nothing as he reached beneath the bed and pulled the trembling girl out, hugging her against his chest before sitting on her bed, reclining and forcing himself to fit in the small space. Shikari frowned at her father, struggling in his grasp before finally growing still.

"I can protect you even when I'm not fighting."

"It's a secret."

"I won't tell mommy if you don't want me to," he promised. "But one day someone else will want to help you."

"I won't be afraid when I'm older."

He never thought of Shikari as a miniature adult, but he never cared much for babying her either. He'd been worried when she was born, a tiny person, his responsibility to teach and cherish. It had been much easier with his son the first time around - he acted his age, only maturing now that he had a younger sibling to take care of. With his daughter things tended to fall into place - Shikari was already growing to be independent, already serious, generally easy to talk to. He couldn't delude her into thinking when she grew up everything would be all right, but as a child he didn't want to give her the impression everything was hopeless.

"Whether or not you're afraid, people who love you will want to help you. Even if you don't need it - sometimes it's nice to accept it."

"Like the day you couldn't open the jar of honey so Mommy did it?"

Shikamaru scowled, ruffling her hair. "No more questions."

A series of one-shots that follows the characters ? years after Shippuden, perhaps? Shikamaru and his daughter Shikari star in this chapter - I'm in the mood for team ten, so maybe Chouji next. Edited December 28th, 2010.