Pain and the war had left deep scars in Konohagakure. Some were obvious as people struggled to salvage personal treasures from the wreckage of their homes. Other scars were invisible – carved into the hearts of every villager who had returned home without someone they had left with. Despite the loss, strength emanated from the village shinobi who woke each morning before the sun and built until the last rays disappeared into the thick surrounding forest.

Missions were few and far between for all of the hidden villages. The five Kages agreed that no land would take work until the villages could function again. The intention was to avoid any future power struggles – another war would likely destroy the existence of shinobi entirely.

…

Shikamaru activated his shadow jutsu to hold several beams in place as skilled carpenters quickly secured them to one another. This was what a shinobi's work now consisted of; using jutsu to build rather than to fight. Shikamaru appreciated this though. He was glad to be home even if that home was in pieces for the time being. The sense of home lingered even without the structures that once defined it. He watched the clouds float lazily by as they always had. A familiar tinge of jealousy rose in him. The clouds were unaffected by the war, they were indifferent to human suffering.

Perhaps he thought, if people were more like clouds, none of this would ever have happened. Then he laughed, clouds also turn violent when there are too many in one place. Even the clouds cannot have lasting peace.

…

Shikamaru slouched his way to the tent he was currently calling home. A section of Konohagukure had been cleared of rubble and a tent camp erected for the villagers to live in while they built permanent homes. It was a pain to live in a tent. For Shikamaru, it was one thing to sleep in one while on a mission but sleeping in one every night made his limbs ache in the morning.

He arrived to find Temari emerging from their shared "residence". He was going to marry her in a week. He sighed, because of the war both the Hokage and the Kazekage, Temari's younger brother, had pressed them to get married. Shikamaru knew he would have married her anyway, eventually. She was a troublesome woman and would have pushed the issue until he had given in.

What a pain.

The Kages wanted to secure any sort of bonds they could between the Leaf and the Sand. As the two strongest villages, they had taken the most damage from the war and their alliance was essential to their survival at this point. Somehow it was decided that a marriage between a Leaf jonin, Shikamaru, and the Kazekage's sister would be a part of this alliance.

Temari opened her arms as he approached. He held her for a moment thinking maybe life wouldn't be too bad after all.

Then she turned her face up and said, "if you walk with that kind of slouch you'll have terrible back pain when you get old. Stand up straight! You're a Leaf jonin! Show some pride!"

She released him and headed over to the small fire pit to start dinner. Shikamaru groaned. Women were all troublesome.

He sat outside the tent and unstrapped his shoes. He rubbed his feet which were sore from a full day of manual labor. He had become a ninja to avoid this type of work so why was he stuck with it anyway? He watched Temari cut up vegetables and pieces of meat for his dinner. She was more beautiful than the type of woman he had planned on spending his life with. Shikamaru had wanted an average wife, an average home and eventually average children. The irony is that because of his intelligence he was deemed "above average" by the village and his life had become far from the free floating existence he had hoped for.

As Shikamaru resumed rubbing his sore feet, a pair of blue sandals entered his vision. He looked up to see a smiling Choji looming over him.

"Aaah isn't this work great? The village looks better every day!" Choji was overenthusiastic about rebuilding the village. He used his expansion jutsu to move house-sized pieces of rubble and hauled multiple beams from one end of town to the other.

Shikamaru sighed, Choji was a better man than him overall. Choji never turned down a request for help and threw himself into rebuilding the village. Shikamaru imagined it would be nice to have Choji's idealistic view of everything. It was one of the reasons Shikamaru liked Choji so much in the first place.

Choji flopped down next to Shikamaru and ripped open a bag of potato chips.

"Are you excited to be a married man?" Choji asked.

Shikamaru looked up at the clouds, "I guess."

Choji scrunched his face, "C'mon, be a bit more enthusiastic. A lotta guys would love a girl like that!"

Shikamaru knew this was true. But he also wasn't a lot of guys. It wasn't that he didn't love Temari – he did, so much it scared him a bit. He just thought women were troublesome and Temari was one of the most troublesome out there. He also wanted to get married on his own time. The Kages getting involved had put much more pressure on the whole affair than he would have liked.

Eventually Choji stomped off to find his family and, more importantly, his dinner. Temari finished up the hot pot she had made and spooned some into a bowl for Shikamaru.

"I have good news" he said.

"Oh?" her blue green eyes struck him as she looked up at his face.

"Uh, yeah. The house'll be done by the wedding next week."

"Great!" she said, "then we can start getting furniture and I'll have some of my stuff send from Suna to decorate with. We'll have to get more cooking supplies too…"

Shikamaru wasn't listening. He didn't care about pots and pans and whether there were flowers on the kitchen table. He just wanted a real roof and a real bed.

…

The morning of the wedding arrived. To Shikamaru's dismay, it had become a big deal for the village. For one thing the Kazekage, Gaara, had traveled to Konoha. He was going to give his sister away as a gesture of friendship between the Leaf and the Sand. As an incredibly eligible batchelor, the arrival of the Kazekage always stirred up the young women of the village. His elder brother Konkuro was causing a similar scene.

In addition to the arrival of those two, the villagers really need an excuse to celebrate. Unfortunately for Shikamaru, his wedding had become that excuse. At least the Hokage was paying for it. Shikamaru cringed at the thought of how much that woman could spend on sake.

Shikamaru donned a traditional hakama and haori and pulled his hair up. He was greatful that his house was done in time for the wedding so he could dress without the confining walls of the tent.

When he exited his bedroom his mother was waiting for him. He had built a wing onto the house for her at her insistence. Previously, the former head of the Nara family and his wife would have to stay with the next generation in the same cramped space. Shikamaru's mother had always dreamed of building a separate area for the former head to live away from the day to day business of the clan. Now Shikamaru was the head and his mother had her separate place which, now that Shikaku was gone, she needed more than ever.

His mother approached him holding the crest of the Nara clan – a hammered still pendent depicting a deer. He bowed his head so she could slip the chain around his neck.

"You are a man now and the head of this clan. You must remember your duty to Konoha, to the Nara Clan and to your father." She had tears in her eyes. Though she had been hard on Shikaku, she had loved him fiercely, something Shikamaru hadn't understood until his father was killed. Shikamaru kissed his mother on the forehead and headed for the door.

…

The wedding was as much of a pain as Shikamaru expected. Practically the whole village attended forcing the ceremony to be performed outdoors. Shikamaru watched the clouds as he waited for his bride.

She finally emerged dressed in a white kimono decorated with peacocks stitched in vibrant color and detail. It was a gift from her brother, the Kazekage, to his only sister. Shikamaru was amazed how much she looked like an ordinary woman instead of the hardheaded kunoichi she actually was. Though her hair was up in her signature four ponytail style, there were flowers and pearls in it. One strand of pearls dipped down and spanned her forehead elegantly. Gold hoops hung from her ears and she sported matching bangles on each wrist. Clearly, the Kazekage wanted to present his sister as a princess. Shikamaru knew that this was in part for show but he also knew that Gaara did love his sister dearly and it was only his love for his people that allowed him to part with her. She would be a valuable asset to the Leaf and she would cement their alliance.

The ceremony itself was short. It was performed by the Hokage who also dressed extravagantly instead of wearing the traditional Hokage robes. She had never been one for tradition.

The reception that followed was a huge celebration with virtually unlimited food and drink for everyone. The Hokage drank enough for three large shinobi. Sitting next to her, the Kazekage observed the carousing in silence. Shikamaru did note that he looked a little amused at the behavior of his Leaf counterpart. Shikamaru understood the Kazekage's reserved behavior. He was young and still had a lot to prove as a leader. Everyone knew and feared Tsunade's strength so they excused any poor behavior on her part.

Night closed in on the Konoha and lanterns were lit so people could continue their revelry. By midnight, those with families had left and those who remained were bumbling around in a drunken frenzy. Shikamaru touched Temari's hand,

"I think we can make our exit. I don't think we'll be missed."

She nodded in assent and the slipped away into the darkness toward their new home.

…

The lights in his mother's part of the house were dark. She had left the celebration long before the drinking got out of hand. Though still a proud kunoichi, age was catching up with Shikamaru's mother and she often retired early in the night.

They went to their bedroom and Shikamaru flopped on the bed and let out a sigh. It felt so good to finally have a bed and not a flimsy mat on the ground. He knew some ninjas slept on bedrolls even in their homes but he had never been one to sacrifice comfort for convenience. This idea was foreign to Temari who had grown up under harsh rules. She was part of a plan to strengthen the Sand and comfort was not a luxury afforded her by her teachers.

Shikamaru sat up and watched her scrub the makeup from her face. She walked to a small dressing table and carefully removed all of the jewelry decked on her wrists and in her hair. She still wore the peacock kimono but to Shikamaru, it looked more natural on her once her face was clean and the jingling bangles removed.

He walked over to her and she turned to face him. He bent and kissed her softly while he pulled the kimono from her shoulder. They had had sex before. The first time was when they were assigned to oversee the Chunin exams. Overworked, they had gotten their hands on some sake late one night and in a drunken haze they'd bumbled their way through their first sexual encounter. Since they'd lived in the tent together after the war there had been a few nights when they had given in to lust, quickly fulfilling their desires in silence so as not to disturb the residents of tents around them.

Shikamaru felt he owed her something because up until now their encounters had been rushed and were more about selfish desires than each other. Now he was greatful his mother had insisted on her own part of the house so he could pay Temari back for the nights she facilitated his needs.

He traced a light scar on her shoulder. Like all shinobi, Temari's body was hard, muscular and covered in scars from a lifetime of battles and training. They were not the soft, yielding damsels Kakashi read about in his books. Shikamaru preferred the real thing; he didn't want a needy, pliable woman. It would be troublesome to have to take care of a woman like that.

Temari closed her eyes and tilted her head back as he kissed her neck. Then she opened them with a gasp. One of his shadow hands had slipped unnoticed under her kimono and traveled up her inner thigh dangerously close to the warm, wet place Shikamaru desired. Her kimono fell from her shoulders until it hung from the belt at her waist exposing her white breasts to Shikamaru. He circled her waist with one arm to support her waist while his other hand stroked her stomach and moved up to cup her breast. Temari had grown since they first rolled cluelessly in the darkness during the Chunin exam meetings. She filled his hand completely now. He grazed her nipple with his thumb and it rose to his touch. He smirked. For a troublesome woman she responded well to his touch.

"Shikamaru…" she breathed.

"Hmph, you can still talk. That's a pain." He hoisted her up off the floor and tossed her on the bed. For a moment he stood over her and absorbed her exposed torso. Her face was flushed and her breathing fast as he drew his eyes over her round breasts and hard stomach muscles. He noted her hip bones and how they coyly pointed him towards his desire. He felt himself straining against the mesh underneath his hakama but for now he forced himself to ignore it. Temari was a troublesome woman but because of that, Shikamaru prided himself on getting her worked into this state.

He had not removed his shadow hand from her thigh and now crept it upward massaging her tiny pleasure area with its thumb and forefinger. She cried out and arched her back her breathing becoming even more ragged than before.

She opened her eyes a bit and looked at him pleadingly, "Please…oh God, please…" her voice trailed off and she bit her lip as another wave of pleasure struck her. A moan escaped her lips as he sent another shadow hand in the direction of the first, this one caressing the top of her inner thighs. Temari squirmed and moaned. Shikamaru loved it. He had never imagined his signature jutsu could make Temari so helpless before him. He pulled of his robe and hakama so he was only wearing the mesh shorts he always wore under his pants. The mesh was being stretched to its limit and his own desire was becoming hard to contain. However, he was enjoying watching her too much to give in so soon.

He crawled onto the bed and slipped himself between her legs. He put a finger inside her to feel how much she wanted him. Her muscles clamped down on it as his shadow hand sent her into another back-arching spasm of pleasure. He withdrew his finger which was now wet with her juices. He sent his shadow hands to her wrists where they pinned her arms above her head, exposing all of her to Shikamaru.

He untied the belt holding her kimono to her bottom half and exposed her nakedness underneath. Clearly, she had been expecting something because she had already removed any barriers for him. She lay before him naked, flushed and trembling with pleasure looking at him with pleading eyes that flicked from his face to his groin. He knew what she wanted but he would make her want him even more. Women were troublesome but they could be entertaining as well.

He lowered his head and licked the small area his shadow hand had been working on. Temari shuddered and strained against the shadow restraints on her arms. That was a good reaction. He did it again, more slowly, exploring her moist folds with his tongue. She moaned and writhed.

He moved upwards, kissing her stomach before setting his teeth gently on one of her nipples. He bit softly and she gave a short cry. Now he thought, now she's almost ready.

Keeping her arms pinned with his shadows he stood and slipped the mesh from his waist. He was hard and pulsing. All the build up had made him more eager to penetrate her, to ravage her. Yet he still restrained himself.

He crouched back between her legs and rubbed the tip of himself along the sensitive skin on her inner thighs. Then he rolled it over her entrance as she gasped and struggled.

"Shikamaru…please…please…" her words interrupted by her breath. She was his, entirely. With that he gave in to himself and plunged himself inside her. It was warm and wet and inviting. She rose her hips to his. She responded to him perfectly. As he began to move she matched his rhythm. He too moaned with long-awaited pleasure then he released her wrists and pulled her on top of him. Her eyes closed and her head tilted back as she rode him. The warmth was rising in her belly offering relief from the sweet torture she had endured. She opened her eyes with a gasp as the pleasure flowed over her as Shikamaru pulled her hips down onto him as he released himself into her.

Exhausted, Temari rolled off of him onto the bed. She felt warm as sleep crept over her.

…

Two year old Asuna, named for the father he'd never know, peered over the edge of the wooden crib at the child inside. Jet black hair and blue green eyes peered back at him. Shikamaru put his hand on the child's head and looked toward the bedroom where Temari slept soundly.

His mother entered the room with a tray of cookies for the young Asuma who was visiting the new baby with his mother, Kurenai. Shikamaru had tried to fill his teacher, Asuma's, shoes when it came to the young boy. Now he had a girl of his own too.

It had been a year and half since the wedding and the village was taking back its old form. The smells of new wood and sawdust were the only things that gave away the newness of it all. Missions had been trickling in over the last six months as the Leaf and the other villages strengthened.

Shikamaru had three genin under his supervision now meaning the mssions he was sent on were usually D-rank and C-rank at the hardest. He liked it this way. It gave him plenty of time to stare at the clouds and it kept him relatively close to the village and his growing family. He also appreciated the time it allowed him to spend away from his home where Temari ruled with an iron fist.

Today though, all was quiet in the house. Temari was exhausted and would likely sleep the rest of the day. His mother was estatic at the arrival of her grandchild and could be depended upon to provide all the love and care the girl needed until Temari was rested. Shikamaru ventured outside to their garden and lay back in the grass and stared at the clouds drifting by.