He wasn't quite sure why he was wandering around town at night. Usually he
would be playing shougi or go... or just lazing around... but usually... he
was never this restless either...
"How troublesome..." He sighed to himself in frustration as the young man raked a hand through his spiky black ponytail.
Eventually, the youth found himself in front of the Ichiraku Ramen place and deciding that perhaps this restless feeling would go away with a bite to eat, Nara Shikamaru entered the restaurant.
"What'll you have?" The man asked as Shikamaru sat down on an old barstool.
"Surprise me." He mumbled as he crossed his arms on top of the counter and placed his head down upon them.
"Eh? Shikamaru?"
The man in question groaned as he recognized that voice... of course Naruto would be here... Not that he minded him so much, no, Shikamaru did respect him as a friend and comrade, but Naruto was... Naruto. Always so troublesome...
"Yo, Naruto." Shikamaru responded, lifting his head from his arms to look at the spiky haired male next to him, who was slurping down the last of his ramen.
"Hey mister! Seconds!" The blonde yelled before turning back to Shikamaru. "So what's up?"
"Hnn..." Shikamaru murmured dully as a bowl of beef ramen was placed in front of him. Naruto stared at him oddly until something seemed to dawn in his bright sapphire eyes.
"Aha! Girl problems, right Shikamaru?" Beef ramen flew all over Naruto's face. He twitched as Shikamaru continued to stare at him incredulously.
"Yeah... it's a girl problem." Naruto confirmed as he wiped the ramen off his face.
"What makes you think that?" The other man asked crossly as he continued to eat the rest of his meal.
"Tell me Shikamaru... have you begun to feel uneasy... confused... restless?" The raven-haired youth paused mid bite and turned his head towards the blonde in interest... an action that seemed to confirm the problem even more to Naruto.
"Na... so who is it?"
"It? There's no one."
"Aww come on Shika! You're 22 for crying out loud! There has to be someone." Naruto complained as another bowl of ramen was placed in front of him. He happily began to eat as Shikamaru put his chopsticks down thoughtfully.
"You know..." Naruto looked over in curiosity, though ramen was still consistently shoved into his mouth.
"I've always dreamed of just being a so so ninja with an okay salary... and I just wanted to marry a regular girl who would be neither a beauty or a hag..."
"Impossible." Naruto replied as soon as he had downed the rest of his ramen.
"Why?" At this question, Naruto seemed to grin his classic fox like grin.
"Because."
"Because...?"
Naruto's grin seemed to grow even wider as he stated, "Because the woman you love enough to want to marry... she's going to be the most beautiful woman in the world to you." Shikamaru simply stared as Naruto's words took an impact upon his brain.
"Who knows... you may have already met that woman but never tried to get her because you thought she was too beautiful."
It took him a few moments to respond, but finally, Shikamaru smirked, "So you get married one day and suddenly you're an expert on love, eh, Naruto?"
"Of course!" Naruto puffed in arrogance until a beep emitted from the watch he wore on his wrist.
"Ah shoot! Sakura chan's going to have my head if I'm late for dinner!"
"...Didn't you just have 2 bowls of ramen?"
"Well..." Naruto scratched his cheek, "Let's just say... even though she's the most beautiful woman in the world to me..." He paused, "Sakura chan can't cook worth a dime." Naruto gave his friend a cheeky grin and a wink before departing in a whirl of leaves...
"Oi! Naruto! You didn't pay again!" The cashier yelled in annoyance while Shikamaru smirked as he fished around his pocket for money.
"Here, I'll pay for all three bowls." He said as he placed the money on the counter next to his half eaten ramen.
"Are you sure?" The man asked, but Shikamaru was already walking out the door.
Outside, Shikamaru glanced at the full moon as he murmured to himself, "May have already met her...huh?" He stretched his arms and gave a slight smile before casually walking home.
For some reason... he didn't feel so restless anymore.
_________________________
Bunni: Wai wai! That was fun! I hope you guys had fun reading it as much as I had writing it! The ending was a bit vague... but I'm sure you all understand... And of course... I couldn't help the Narusaku hint... really... they're such an underdog couple! Ah... anyway... reviews for this story are greatly appreciated... as are reviews for my other Naruto fics... ::cough:: Oh... and Shikamaru's dream was taken pretty directly from the manga with a few tweaks.
"How troublesome..." He sighed to himself in frustration as the young man raked a hand through his spiky black ponytail.
Eventually, the youth found himself in front of the Ichiraku Ramen place and deciding that perhaps this restless feeling would go away with a bite to eat, Nara Shikamaru entered the restaurant.
"What'll you have?" The man asked as Shikamaru sat down on an old barstool.
"Surprise me." He mumbled as he crossed his arms on top of the counter and placed his head down upon them.
"Eh? Shikamaru?"
The man in question groaned as he recognized that voice... of course Naruto would be here... Not that he minded him so much, no, Shikamaru did respect him as a friend and comrade, but Naruto was... Naruto. Always so troublesome...
"Yo, Naruto." Shikamaru responded, lifting his head from his arms to look at the spiky haired male next to him, who was slurping down the last of his ramen.
"Hey mister! Seconds!" The blonde yelled before turning back to Shikamaru. "So what's up?"
"Hnn..." Shikamaru murmured dully as a bowl of beef ramen was placed in front of him. Naruto stared at him oddly until something seemed to dawn in his bright sapphire eyes.
"Aha! Girl problems, right Shikamaru?" Beef ramen flew all over Naruto's face. He twitched as Shikamaru continued to stare at him incredulously.
"Yeah... it's a girl problem." Naruto confirmed as he wiped the ramen off his face.
"What makes you think that?" The other man asked crossly as he continued to eat the rest of his meal.
"Tell me Shikamaru... have you begun to feel uneasy... confused... restless?" The raven-haired youth paused mid bite and turned his head towards the blonde in interest... an action that seemed to confirm the problem even more to Naruto.
"Na... so who is it?"
"It? There's no one."
"Aww come on Shika! You're 22 for crying out loud! There has to be someone." Naruto complained as another bowl of ramen was placed in front of him. He happily began to eat as Shikamaru put his chopsticks down thoughtfully.
"You know..." Naruto looked over in curiosity, though ramen was still consistently shoved into his mouth.
"I've always dreamed of just being a so so ninja with an okay salary... and I just wanted to marry a regular girl who would be neither a beauty or a hag..."
"Impossible." Naruto replied as soon as he had downed the rest of his ramen.
"Why?" At this question, Naruto seemed to grin his classic fox like grin.
"Because."
"Because...?"
Naruto's grin seemed to grow even wider as he stated, "Because the woman you love enough to want to marry... she's going to be the most beautiful woman in the world to you." Shikamaru simply stared as Naruto's words took an impact upon his brain.
"Who knows... you may have already met that woman but never tried to get her because you thought she was too beautiful."
It took him a few moments to respond, but finally, Shikamaru smirked, "So you get married one day and suddenly you're an expert on love, eh, Naruto?"
"Of course!" Naruto puffed in arrogance until a beep emitted from the watch he wore on his wrist.
"Ah shoot! Sakura chan's going to have my head if I'm late for dinner!"
"...Didn't you just have 2 bowls of ramen?"
"Well..." Naruto scratched his cheek, "Let's just say... even though she's the most beautiful woman in the world to me..." He paused, "Sakura chan can't cook worth a dime." Naruto gave his friend a cheeky grin and a wink before departing in a whirl of leaves...
"Oi! Naruto! You didn't pay again!" The cashier yelled in annoyance while Shikamaru smirked as he fished around his pocket for money.
"Here, I'll pay for all three bowls." He said as he placed the money on the counter next to his half eaten ramen.
"Are you sure?" The man asked, but Shikamaru was already walking out the door.
Outside, Shikamaru glanced at the full moon as he murmured to himself, "May have already met her...huh?" He stretched his arms and gave a slight smile before casually walking home.
For some reason... he didn't feel so restless anymore.
_________________________
Bunni: Wai wai! That was fun! I hope you guys had fun reading it as much as I had writing it! The ending was a bit vague... but I'm sure you all understand... And of course... I couldn't help the Narusaku hint... really... they're such an underdog couple! Ah... anyway... reviews for this story are greatly appreciated... as are reviews for my other Naruto fics... ::cough:: Oh... and Shikamaru's dream was taken pretty directly from the manga with a few tweaks.