Shikanou Nara
by _almightykeii
disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned. the only thing I own here is the story :D
"Mom, tadaima~~" Temari popped her head out of the kitchen door the minute she heard her son's voice from the door. "Mom, doko desu ka? Dad?"
"Shikanou, I'm over here," Temari gently called out. The little boy nodded at his mother's reply and walked towards the kitchen. "So, how was your first day at school, Kanou?" she asked. Shikanou only shrugged, with a smug expression on his face. Temari sighed. Yeah, he's his father's son, alright. "Did you make friends?"
"Yeah, I did. It's that...what's his name...that Akimichi, Inuzuka, and...who's that...I'm not sure whether they're an Uzumaki or a Namikaze. The male one isn't sure which one because his dad uses both. What he told us today is that his name is Minato Hyuuga-Uzumaki-Namikaze, and that his twin sister is Kushina," Shikanou coolly replied. "Anyways, I don't care what their surnames are. As long as they've got a name I could call them with, then...wait."
Temari was stifling a laugh when she looked at her son. "What is it?"
"Mom...isn't it that...Uzumaki is the surname of the...Sixth?" the little Nara cluelessly asked. Temari nodded. "...oh."
"I'm glad that you made friends with my and your father's friends' children," Temari smiled. Shikanou nodded his head, as if contemplating the meaning of being friends with his parents' friends' children. "Now, let me finish our dinner up. Your father's going to arrive any time soo-"
"But, Mom?" Temari abruptly stopped on her tracks as she felt her son's hand tugging her black kimono.
"Hn?"
"...why is it that...Minato and Kushina aren't that sure what their real surname is?" Temari laughed at her son's question. She crouched down; her eyes meeting her son's black ones. She patted his pony-tailed hair and smiled.
"Long story, Shikanou. Now, get yourself cleaned up and help me prepare the table."
Shikanou sighed. Somehow, he knew that that was going to be his mother's answer. "Hai, Mom..." he replied as he practically dragged his feet towards his room. Temari sighed.
"It's too long a story. I'm sorry, Shikanou," she muttered before going back to the kitchen.
"Tadaima~"
Shikamaru looked around, only to see no one, but smell a wonderful scent coming from the kitchen. He smiled. Is she serious with her cooking that she didn't even feel me arrive? he thought. He removed his feet from his shoes, and shoved his hands into his pocket before silently walking towards the kitchen. He lowered his head down -yes, he is that tall already - and smiled. There she was, wearing her black kimono and her favorite white apron.
He smirked. Has it been too long since her last mission that she isn't even aware of my presence here? he thought evilly. He tiptoed towards her cautiously, but when he was an arm's length away from her, she turned around and smiled - with the spatula on her hand.
"Okaeri." Shikamaru sighed. It is impossible. This troublesome woman...
"Yeah, I'm home," Shikamaru smiled.
"You arrived three hours after Shikanou did."
"Oh?" Shikamaru asked, forming an 'O' with his mouth. Temari smiled. "Hmm...anyways, what's for dinner? I haven't eaten anything today."
Temari playfully pouted. "Oh, no, my poor husband." Shikamaru elbowed her. "Meh, I'm just kidding. We're going to have katsudon," she chuckled. She looked up at Shikamaru and immediately understood that other sparkle in his eyes. "Oh, you can't have me for dinner."
"Why?" Shikamaru's playfulness immediately disappeared.
Temari laughed. She knew how to get to Shikamaru. "...because you're gonna have me as your midnight snack." Shikamaru's face flushed, and then he smiled. "Hahaha, you're blushing! The great Konoha genius is blushing~"
"Shut up," Shikamaru hissed, hiding his face with the palm of his hand. "I'm not-"
"Dad, is that you?" Shikamaru popped his head out of the kitchen door - and in the process, hitting himself with the wooden beam.
"Urgh...troublesome beam...yeah, Kanou, Dad's home," he smiled. He watched his little look-a-like run down the hall to greet him with what he calls a cub-hug. "Mm...did you miss me?" Shikanou nodded against his tummy. "Heh. So, how was the first day of school?"
"I made friends."
"Ohh, really, now..." Shikamaru crouched down to meet up with his son's height. "So...who're these friends?"
"...what's his name...that Akimichi, Inuzuka, and...who's that...I'm not sure whether they're an Uzumaki or a Namikaze. The male one isn't sure which one because his dad uses both. What he told us today is that his name is Minato Hyuuga-Uzumaki-Namikaze, and that his twin sister is Kushina," Shikanou replied, using the same words he used with his mom.
Didn't he use that to answer me? Temari thought. Don't tell me he's so lazy like his dad that he's too lazy to think of any other words to me...
"...oh!" Shikamaru blurted out as he tried to restrain his laugh. It's just like Chouji, Kiba, Naruto and I in the past... "That's great. I'm glad you're making friends with my and your mom's friends' children."
Temari blinked. I used the similar words to answer Shikanou, too!
"That's what Mom said," Shikanou muttered, looking a little irritated. Shikamaru glanced at Temari's way, and she shrugged, as if saying whatever. "Anyways, I'm hungry. Can we eat now, Mom?"
Temari smiled. "Yes, yes. Shikamaru, please set up the table. Shikanou, help your dad." She almost laughed when two of the four most important men in her laugh grunted in unison.
"Troublesome."
"Sorry for the wait."
Temari laid one bowl each in front of Shikanou and Shikamaru. Shikamaru smiled at his blue bowl, and so did Shikanou at his green bowl. She chuckled. It was as if watching Shikamaru eat in front of a mirror. The movement of the father would be the movement of the son. Although, there were exceptions.
Like, right now.
"Ack...! Ack-ack!" Shikamaru gasped. He choked on his food. Shikanou watched his dad gasp for air with so much amusement that he forgot to help his dad. "Shikano-ACK!"
"Oh, oh, oh, gomen nasai!" Shikanou exclaimed as he rushed to his father's back and patted it. "Genki desu ka?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, thanks." Shikamaru smiled as he gestured Shikanou to go back to his seat. "Anyways..." he paused as he drank water. "...so, what exactly happened at school?" he asked, wiping the corners of his lips with his a tissue provided by Temari before she sat down to join her men in dinner.
"...well, first, I am sitting beside Hyuuga Nazuna. And, I already have an assignment to finish," Shikanou muttered. "Troublesome."
"And what is this assignment?" Temari asked as she put in food into her mouth. "Hm?"
"...I need to know more about myself when I was just a baby." Shikamaru and Temari glanced at each other and laughed. "W-what?"
"Well, we can help you with that," Shikamaru smiled. "But, why exactly do you need that? I don't remember any teacher giving us such assignment."
"Dad. If your teacher was that Bushy Brow-"
"WAIT, WHAT, YOUR TEACHER IS LEE?" Shikamaru asked with a straight face.
"Yeah. And he's always saying youthful-youthfulness and let your youthful beauty glow, as if he was some kind of beauty product endorser," Shikanou complained. Temari clamped her mouth with her hands to prevent herself from laughing out loud. "And, Dad, urgh, you should've seen his outfit-"
"I have, son, and I have endured seeing it all my life," Shikamaru cut in, face-palming himself. Temari chuckled.
"That green-spandex is so lame," the little Shikamaru complained. "...and, I have to say, it is also distracting, too. His butt cheeks are so-"
"OKAY, SON, NOT ON THE TABLE," Temari blurted out, saving Shikamaru's appetite. "After this, your Dad and I will help you do your assignment, alright?" she suggested, as she rubbed the back of Shikamaru.
"Thanks you, thank you..." Shikamaru chanted.
"That was rather easy," Shikamaru blinked as he looked at the questionnaire sent by Teacher Lee. "Lee must really be out of his mind."
Temari patted his head. "No. The Academy is, because they allowed him to do this," she smiled. Shikamaru chuckled in agreement. "So...what time is it?" Shikamaru looked as if he was surprised by her question, but he still looked at the clock nonetheless.
"Uh...it's already eleven-thirty in the evening," he replied before returning his attention to his wife. He was a little taken aback when he saw the expression on her face. "...what?"
"Aren't you hungry yet?" Temari whispered into his ear. Shikamaru blushed.
Oh, right. The midnight snack. Shikamaru smiled. "Hmm...yeah, I am hungry."
"Let's eat?" Temari asked, pulling Shikamaru up from the couch and pointing their room. Shikamaru laughed with excitement.
"Hahaha, yeah."