I've always wanted to write a one shot with over 5,000 words and this is my attempt. It's dedicated to the one and only Marachan who dedicated "April in her eyes" to me!! I'm so grateful to her for all of her kind words and awesomeness! So, read and review and let me know what you think :] Thank you.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, I would be Japanese and rich. As I am neither, I don't see the point in writing this :P
Pairings: Slight ShikamaruTemari, Slight ShikakuYoshino, Slight NejiTenten, Slight LeeSakura
Rating: T because I don't know what I'll write :P
Dedication: Marachan
Timeline: About two years after the current manga chapter in which Shikamaru is nearly eighteen, Temari has just turned twenty.
Spoilers: None what so ever! Are you proud of me? :]
Thoughts/The Past are in Italics!!
Mommy knows best
XxXxXxXxXxX
The trees whirred by, Shikamaru's feet barely touching the branches as he jumped from one to the other, not stopping to catch his breath. The delegation would be arriving at the rendez-vous point in about ten minutes and he had yet to set foot in the selected clearing. Tsunade would have his head for this. It was one thing to keep the Kazekage waiting but it was another thing to lose his perfect record for time keeping. Damn clouds, distracting him in ways he never thought possible. At least something good was coming from this whole event. He was going to be able to catch up with Kankurou and Temari.
Over the past few years as he matured in both height and wit, he and the Sand Siblings had become somewhat close. He and Temari were already friends due to her ambassador duties and they had no other option than to exchange the polite words before she ordered him about, making sure he carried out her every need. Her oldest younger brother on the other hand had taken some effort to warm up to. Shikamaru couldn't appreciate his cruelness towards those around his but a mission to Mist with the puppeteer had proved otherwise. Now they were as friendly as he was with the rest of the Konoha 12.
Gaara was a completely different story. Though both he and Shikamaru had been nothing but polite towards each other, the shadow user felt that he couldn't hold a candle to the slightly older man. Gaara needed someone to bring him out of his shell and Naruto had done enough of that to last a life time. There was no need for Shikamaru to try.
A few feet ahead, the light from the clearing was discernible from the tufts of leaves sticking out from the trees. The shadows cast around Shikamaru were light, almost faded as he made his final jump before landing on a dirt beaten road that lay next to the small river leading into the Fire Nation and was where the borders of Wind began. Sure enough, in the distance, Shikamaru could make out the blond spiky hair of the one and only Troublesome woman in his life at the moment. Not that they were dating or anything. He had moved out of his family home so his relationship with his mother was almost non existent. Team 10 had disbanded when he became a Jounin so he didn't really see Ino anymore (if he could avoid it) thus left Temari as the only one to boss him around... Oh wait.. There was also Tsunade. Great...
Kankurou raised a hand in salute when he recognised Shikamaru leaning up against a tree next to the river bank. It wasn't long before they reached the rendez-vous point and exchanged the usual pleasantries.
"Kazekage-sama, Kankurou, Temari," he said, nodding to each in turn. Temari rolled her eyes at his manners and proceeded to walk past him. "Can we get going? I need a damn shower. Stupid climate..." she trailed off, clearly looking for the right path to follow. Shikamaru sighed. Just like her to rush things that could otherwise be done at a slow pace. Kankurou chuckled.
"Calm down Temari. We're almost there aren't we crybaby?" he asked. Shikamaru glared. Typical... Temari's habit for calling him that name had rubbed off on to Kankurou who now brandished the name carelessly without any tact.
Gaara stepped forward, a blank expression on his face. The Kanji of the word "Love" on his forehead was brighter than the last time Shikamaru had seen it. "Are you the only one who came to greet us?" he asked, a non existent eyebrow raising. Shikamaru bowed.
"Lady Hokage sends her apologies. There has been a civil war in Cloud that I'm sure you're aware of and they've requested for Konoha-nin to be a third party in the matter. We're short on shinobi at the moment." Gaara nodded, accepting the matter for what it was.
"Can we go?!" came Temari's voice, unusually deep for a female, especially compared to the women in Konoha. They all had shrill voices enough to make you cringe. Kankurou and Shikamaru rolled their eyes but followed the agitated Kunoichi none the less. Soon enough, the four arrived at the gates of the village and were greeted by Kotetsu and Izumo who told them of their residence and meeting times before bidding farewell. Shikamaru escorted them to the embassy where they deposited all articles of sand covered clothes and took on more formal attire before heading out to the Hokage's building. Upon arrival, Shizune lead them down the long winding halls and showed them to a room at the far side where they would not be disturbed. Shikamaru was told to meet them in three hours when the meeting would be concluded and act as their guide for the rest of their stay.
With nothing else to do he decided to go and visit his mother for the time being. He hadn't been over in a few weeks and thought that she would skin him alive for not keeping her up to date. His father was currently in Cloud as part of the peace restoration committee so Yoshino had been alone for the past few days. He took the road from the back of the Hokage building and could help the felling of nostalgia that warped around him. He remembered the first time he returned home as an Academy student, sitting on his father's shoulders while he tried to stay awake to listen to his mother ranting on and on about how he needed to study and "make mommy proud."
He remembered following his father along this path to see him to the gates of the village when he was leaving for six months on a mission with Inoichi and Chouza. He remembered his mother coming to this path everyday for the six months that Shikaku was gone to see if he had sent a letter of his status. He remembered Ino getting angry with him for not listening to her babble on and on about her rivalry with Sakura and Chouji coming down this path to play Shogi with him. Those were the days...
Soon enough, the large Nara compound came into sight with its pale cream walls and green pillars. The windows downstairs were open. The kitchen, which was located at the right hand side of the compound had an entrance of its own. Glancing around the clearing to make sure none of the deer had wondered away from the herd, Shikamaru took hold of the handle of the door and stepped inside.
"Mom, it's me," he said aloud, closing the door behind him and fully implanting himself within the house. It was exactly as he had left it when he moved out. The tea pot was still in the corner next to the bread bin and the aprons were hanging on the back of the door where he had just entered. He heard light steps descending the stairs and turned in time to see his mother bustle into the kitchen, hand running through her messy bun before she regarded her son.
"Thought you'd pay your mother a visit, did you?" she asked, voice seething with annoyance. "It's about time! I've been on my own for the past week and I can't leave the house! I need some social interaction, damn it!" Shikamaru rolled his eyes but was careful that she didn't see him.
"Well, I'm here now. I'll have to be leaving soon though. I'm the escort for the Kazekage and his siblings."
Yoshino stopped fumbling with the apron around her waist and her eyes narrowed slightly. "The Kazekage and his siblings?" she asked, voice a little higher than usual.
"Yeah. Gaara, Kankurou and Temari."
If it was possible, Yoshino's eyes narrowed that much more. "Oh she's the girl you brought over to feed the deer before, isn't she?" she asked, feigning innocence. Shikamaru sighed. It was typical for his mother to hold onto such information.
"That was only because I was her guide when she was here for Ambassador duties too and we had nothing better to do," he told her, stressing the point a little more than necessary. Yoshino smiled and Shikamaru couldn't help but feel the insides of his stomach turn to knots. Whenever his mother smiled like that, it meant he would be going through some devilish plan that would no doubt, cause him severe pain or embarrassment. The last time she had that smile on her face, she interrupted his food at Ichiraku's, dragging a tall girl behind her.
"Shikamaru!! This is Inuzuka Hana. You went to the Academy with her brother. Why don't you treat her to dinner tonight?" she said, jerking the brown haired female on front of her. Hana smiled slightly, clearly not happy about being here. Shikamaru sighed.
That time had also cost him a lot of money. Who knew the Inuzuka's could put away so much food? Nearly as much as the Akimichi's and that was saying something! His mother sat down at the large table to the left next to the door and pulled some tea bags and small cups from the pouch in her apron. Shikamaru had learned from a young age that his mother kept everything in that magical apron. Bandages, aspirin, a toothbrush, scissors, a kunai and some small sweets designed for diabetics. No one in his family was diabetic so he couldn't really understand why she kept those. When he asked, she told him not to be nosey.
Once the tea pot was filled with boiling water, she proceeded to pour the two cups and handed the first to Shikamaru.
"You know, Shikamaru," she said, taking a sip of her tea with a bored expression. "You still haven't found yourself a girl. There's obviously nothing happening between you and the Suna girl so why don't you let me set you up with someone?"
Shikamaru almost dropped his cup of tea. "No, that's ok Mom. When the right girl comes along, I'll know it myself. Besides, I want an average girl with average looks that can cook a decent meal. That's it." he told her, bring the cup back to his lips to take a swig. He had a feeling she wasn't going to satisfied with that answer.
"I understand but your father and I were already together a year when we were your age!" she told him, dropping her cup roughly on the wooden table beneath her hands. "There are some girls that are seriously interested in you! I was talking to Ino's mother on the phone the other day and she told me that rumour has it, you're quite popular among the ladies of the village."
Shikamaru sighed. "That's Ino's mother. Gossiping is in their genes. It can't be helped."
Yoshino's voice was still kind but he could tell she was losing her patience. "Just let me set you up on a few hours of speed dating and if you don't like any of those girls, I'll let you along. And besides... I'm bored!"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes and didn't bother to hide it from her. He looked at her; She was positively quaking with hope, as though he was going to settle down with the first woman who popped into his peripheral vision and give her tons of grandkids like she always wanted. "Alright, fine," he said disgruntled. "You're the boss."
They made their way down the usual beaten track that led to the village and wondered onto the main street where citizens were going about their daily business, stopping at a variety of vendors to pick up some fresh produce for the dinner tonight. Yoshino steered Shikamaru towards Ichiraku Ramen and ordered him to wait on the seat at the far side while she rounded up some bachelorettes. After ten minutes of waiting and talking to Ayame, Yoshino returned with a tall brunette sporting two buns on top of her head. Tenten was in her ordinary clothing, combat kaki three quarter length pants, a red tank top and matching sandals. She looked happy to be here. Yoshino introduced them as though they were strangers and bustled off to find more available girls.
"Hey Shikamaru," she said, sitting down next to him on an empty stool. "Don't get the wrong idea why I'm here. Your mom promised me a free meal if I came." Shikamaru chuckled. Typical Tenten...
"Yeah, she thinks that it's her duty in life to find me my "perfect" match," he told her, shaking his head. "She says that I'm getting old and need a woman in my life."
Tenten looked at him as though he was senile. "Old?? You're not even eighteen yet," she pointed out unnecessarily. He nodded. "Yeah that's what I kept telling her but you know my mother as well as I do. She's troublesome.."
Tenten flicked a lose strand of hair behind her ear. "Hey Ayame!!" she called behind the counter until the brunette stood on front of her. "I'll have ramen. It's on Shikamaru." Ayame laughed and went back to preparing the food.
"So, you were saying?" she asked, diving back into her conversation with Shikamaru. "That's it," he told her, not wanting to talk about his mother anymore.
"How are things with Neji?" he asked, picking up his chop sticks and unsticking them. Tenten's face turned sour.
"He's been really busy lately. Hiashi has some job he needs done in Waterfall so he'll be away for the next week or so." Shikamaru frowned. Things were just moving forward between the teammates. Typical of Hiashi to interrupt it.
"Well, at least when Neji comes back, he'll realise how much he missed you, sweep you up on to his valiant steed and whisk you away to some tropical island where you'll have tons of byakugan babies," said Shikamaru, chuckling to himself. Tenten hit him in the arm...hard, whether she meant to or not.
"Yeah we'll see.." she said, getting up from her seat. "Well Shikamaru, it's been a fantastic meal but I've got to go. Lee has a date and he needs me to pick out some "normal" clothes so the poor girl doesn't go running for the hills.. I'll see you later 'k?" He nodded and waved as she walked back down the path she had come from.
It wasn't long until his mother returned dragging another girl with her, clutching her wrist to make sure she didn't get away. The rosette smiled happily at him, rubbing her wrist when Yoshino finally let go.
"Hey Sakura," said Shikamaru, nodding towards his ex-teammates rival. She smiled back at him, "I haven't seen you in a while." Yoshino beamed at both of them before running at a speed Shikamaru didn't know she could reach.
"So what brings you here?" he asked as she took a seat beside him. She put a hand through her hair before answering. "Well I have a date with Lee-san in a little while and we're supposed to meet down the road from here so I said I'd come here to wait for him. And also, your mother said something about free food." Shikamaru sighed. Were all the girls in Konoha out to get a free meal.
She ordered something from the menu before returning to their conversation. "So how've you been?" she asked, taking a sip of the drink Ayame had put out in front of her.
"I've been fine, thanks," he said. "And yourself?"
"Same old same old. I've been taking extra shifts at the hospital to raise money for my own apartment. My mother gets annoyed when Lee comes around to serenade me so she said if I wanted to continue seeing him, I'd have to move out," she said glumly, thanking Ayame who set the food out for her. Shikamaru nodded in understanding. The street was beginning to thin out as the daily routines were finishing. It wouldn't host as many people until midday when people went out to dinner.
"Yeah, well you think you've got it bad?" he asked her and then told her about how his mother was forcing him to choose a girl. She smiled at him. "Sorry Shikamaru but I'm taken at the moment." The laughter in her voice was breaking through with each word she spoke.
"Have any fan girls hooked you yet?" she asked, voice seething. It was clear that Sakura hated any girl that threw herself at a man which was strange when a couple of years ago, she would have done the same. Time matures even the youngest at heart.
"No, not yet but it's still early. I'm hoping to make a run for it soon enough anyway. I'm the ambassador for the Suna delegation for the next few weeks and I have to pick them up in about two hours," he said smirking at the woman before him. She laughed. "How true. Well, I have to go; Lee will be waiting. He's very energetic when it comes to dates and I need to make sure he doesn't have any alcohol.. You know how hard it is to keep him under reigns if he has even a drop of the stuff."
He waved goodbye to her with the promise that he would stop by the hospital some time next week and distract Tsunade while she jumped out a window for an hour or two. The poor girl rarely saw the sun lately with all the extra work she was taking up.
Ayame brought him a drink on the house. She had seen the girls come and go and couldn't help but overhear that his mother was giving him trouble.. "Don't worry Shikamaru-san. My father has been doing the same thing to me for the past few years but I've learned to just ignore him. I'm supposed to be married in the next year!" she practically shouted, a wide smile on her face. She was pretty, Shikamaru concluded, but not his type. He wanted an average wife after all. Even though Ayame could make a decent meal, she was just too troublesome.
About a half an hour later Yoshino returned panting, pushing a timid Hinata in front of her who clearly didn't want to be here. "Did you know that every girl in this town knows how to run extremely fast!" Yoshino barked, hand on her hip. She was frustrated. That much was for sure. She didn't give him a chance to say anything before she returned into a sprint and took off in the opposite direction. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.
"Yo," he said to the navy haired Kunoichi, gesturing towards a seat. She sat down shyly and played with her fingers.
"Hello Shikamaru-kun," she said, smiling slightly with her polite voice. "How are things?"
"Things are troublesome," he said, causing the Hyuuga heiress to giggle lightly. "How are you?"
She seemed troubled. "Well, my father has decided that I'm fit to be the heir of the clan," she told him, eyes downcast. She was never one to praise herself for her progress.
"That's great!" he said as cheerfully as he could, trying to show that he was indeed happy for her.
"Yes, I suppose it is. The only thing is that my sister Hanabi isn't talking to me anymore. She thinks that I took the title from underneath her and she won't come to my coronation."
Shikamaru could sense that this was a sore topic so took it upon himself to change it. Things would just get more troublesome if they stayed on the subject.
"So what brings you here," he asked for what felt like the millionth time today. She looked up at him, grateful for the change in mood.
"Your mother ran after me while I was on my way home. She kept shouting so I didn't know what to do. She's fast by the way," she informed him, chuckling. Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head. "Tell me about it! She used to come and collect me at the Academy every once in a while and I just couldn't get away from her."
They both laughed, thinking about their days as genin. "So much has changed, hasn't it Shikamaru-kun?" she asked, a nostalgic look in her eyes.
"Hmm," he murmured, ordering some food for the kunoichi before him. She took it gratefully and downed it in one. Though surprised by her appetite, Shikamaru understood. Hinata was the heiress of one of the most powerful clans in all of Konoha. Table manners were essential and it must be refreshing to get out once in a while and just eat to your hearts content. He understood because of his mother. She was always forcing some sort of cutlery into his hands at the dinner table while he would be more than happy using his hands. Clean of course.
"I'm so sorry Shikamaru-kun, but I have to go. Team 8 is going for a picnic on the outskirts of the village," she told him, standing up from her seat. "Kiba and Shino are arguing because Akamaru got fleas from the bugs and I'll have to be the mediater between them... Again.. Thanks so much for the meal. I'll see you around."
As Hinata was leaving, Yoshino walked towards him with Ino at her heels. As soon as the blonde reached the counter, she ordered the most expensive food possible and grabbed some chop sticks from the side of the counter. Yoshino rolled her eyes at Ino but left to find the next girl to be her subject. "I think I saw some red heads by the park. I'll be back soon."
"Hiya Shikamaru," said Ino, picking at her food with one of the chop sticks. "Haven't seen you lately. You really need to visit me and Chouji more." Little did she know that he and Chouji were going out every second day to play Shogi, eat barbecue or watch the clouds. They just.. er.. forgot to invite their female friend.
"Yeah I should," he said, neither confirming nor denying the matter. For old times sake, it wouldn't be so bad to all go out every once in a while. He'd have to make sure they were free sometime.
"So, what have you been doing since we last spoke?" she asked happily, taking a sip of her drink that had a little bit of fruit hanging from the side of the glass. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of what he had been doing.
"Nothing much I guess. Taking missions here and there. I went on one with Kakashi the other day. The sharingan is amazing isn't it?"
She nodded in agreement, chewing slowly and thoughtfully. "You already new that. You've been on missions before with Kakashi. We all have." Shikamaru froze at the mention of his past missions with Kakashi but recovered quickly. "Yeah I guess, but he's developed a new technique. He says he learned it from an Ame nin but I kind of doubt it. It conducted fire, not rain."
She giggled slightly. "Typical Kakashi.. Always has a cover story for the real thing." He smiled, nodding in agreement. Poor team 10. Now that Sasuke was not coming back, Sai had taken up permanent place on the team. Sakura and Naruto had welcomed him with open arms but knew that he would never replace their old teammate. Sai didn't seem to mind. He was happy to be accepted the way he was. Now that he wasn't totally socially retarded anymore.
"Have you had any missions lately?" he asked her, curious as to how she had a day off. She took on a serious expression, one that he had rarely seen her wear.
"Yeah, Tsunade's working me to the bone. I suppose it's a good thing though. Me and Sakura are moving in together temporarily and we definitely need the money," she said, pushing her bowl of food out in front of her so she wouldn't eat any more. "Have you had any other missions?"
"Yeah, I'm the escort for the Suna delegation again. Showing them around the town even though they've been here enough times to know the place inside out."
Ino froze. "You mean you're meant to be with them all the time. Make sure they have everything they need?" He nodded slowly. She laughed out loud.
"Then you'd better run. The sand siblings meeting finished early and when I was on my way here, I saw them waiting outside the Hokage building." He nearly fell out of his seat. Great... just great...
"Sorry Ino but I have to go. Would you tell my mother that I had a mission?" She nodded, still grinning. "Sure thing. Now hurry up before you get your ass handed to you by Tsunade!"
He didn't need to be told twice. He jumped on top of the roof on the opposite building and sprinted towards the new rendez-vous point. True to Ino's word, the Sabaku's were standing outside the large builing, clearly impatient. Worst of all was Temari. He landed on the ground in front of them, panting slightly at the sudden exertion of chakra.
"Well look what the cat dragged in," said Kankurou in a sarcastic voice. "We were wondering if you forgot about us."
Shikamaru bowed quickly. "I'm very sorry Kazekage-sama. I didn't know the meeting had finished and I was attending to.. er.. personal matters." Gaara didn't seem fazed. He just nodded and turned to walk in the direction of the embassy with Kankurou taking up the rear like a protective body guard. Shikamaru turned just in time to see a giant metal fan swing out in front of him. He just dodged in time. If he hadn't, the concussion he would have surely received would be severe.
"Baka!" screamed Temari, closing her fan again. "We were waiting here for almost a half an hour! You were wasting our time!" Shikamaru groaned. Troublesome woman..
"I know. I said I was sorry. What more can I do?!" he asked loudly over the grinding of her teeth. She immediately stopped. "You can take me out to dinner tonight. I haven't eaten in three days," she informed him, fixing her hair in the reflection of the handle bar on the fan.
His head raised slightly at that, his eyes slightly wider than usual. "Sure.. I'll pick you up at about seven?" She nodded, satisfied with his answer. He followed her back to the embassy like a puppy following a bone. He enjoyed the view though...
Little did he know that amongst the shadows behind the Hokage building were six of the people closest to him. His mother, Hinata, Sakura, Tenten, Ino and Lee.
"Do you think it worked?" asked Ino, peeking out from behind the tree to see the couple walking down the familiar road.
"I hope so," said Hinata, turning around to face the rest. "It would be an awful waste of time if we did all this for nothing."
"Nonsense," said the pink haired Kunoichi beside her. "Shikamaru and Temari are made for each other. Yoshino's plan was perfect. By making Shikamaru go on a speed date with each of us, he surely realised that Temari is the one."
Lee sighed. "I hope they don't waste their beautiful youth without seeing their love blossom! It would be such a shame."
Yoshino cleared her throat, catching the attention of all the younger shinobi around her. "I've planned this since the Suna girl came around to feed the deer. After all..." she told them, head held high with confidence.
"Mommy knows best."
So what do you think?? Feedback is greatly appreciated. I didn't have a plot when I started writing; I just let it flow. I hope it isn't too bad!! I reached my mark at least! Again, thanks for reading!
Sand-Jounin-Temari