風郎

Kazero

"SHIKAMARU!!!" a voice howled from behind him. Fantastic.

"What?" Nara Shikamaru growled looking over his shoulder to see who was screaming at him. Kiba, surprisingly, he was almost certain it would be Naruto. He had no time for this. "Where the hell are you going? You've got a mission with Naruto and Me!" Kiba roared as Shikamaru disappeared into the trees.

This was all too much trouble but he knew he had to be there, plus he knew Kurenai would murder him if he was late. Suddenly he heard "Get 'im Akamaru!" from behind him.

"Oh give me a break!" he moaned as he felt the pin-like teeth of Akamaru sink into his leg.

Kiba appeared in a puff of smoke on the nearest branch. Shikamaru growled and tried to shake the dog off him. What was it with dogs biting his legs!?

Kiba demanded to know where he was going again. This was getting tiresome. "The hospital," Shikamaru snarled making another lame attempt at getting rid of the dog clamped to his leg. Kiba exploded with laughter, "You Baby!" he cried, "It didn't hurt that much you kunoichi!" he giggled in chorus with Akamaru who had let go in a fit of hysterics.

Enough was enough; Kiba let his defence down so Shikamaru was going. "Later flea-brain!" he called back to Kiba as he tore off though the trees.

He had to get there in time – even if under normal circumstances he'd be asleep under a tree – he guessed he'd be busy this day for every year to follow, but it was worth it.

He landed on a tree branch, the hospital was in sight even the right window but he guessed it was bad manners to come through the window. This was all so damn troublesome!

He sped off towards the door, she wasn't doing anything when he looked through the window – he was late.

"Yuhi Kurenai?" the nurse asked with a smile, he'd been there every day this past week. Shikamaru nodded. "Up the stairs and on your left," she smiled as she rearranged the appears on her desk, she found it so amusing the notoriously lazy Nara Shikamaru had managed to get to the same place at the same time for the last week. She watched him dart up the stairs.

"Kurenai?" he asked as he stuck his head around the door.

"Hello there, you're not so late," he teased. She looked exhausted, so today was the day. He edged close and slid into the chair – why was he so nervous? Asuma's the one who should be nervous!

"Well, I suppose you're dying to know," he smirked, "You really didn't have to come all the way out here," she smiled, a little more warmly. She'd spent so much time with him of late, whether he was charging all over Konoha trying to find things to satisfy her cravings for the oddest things imaginable or being dragged shopping and being asked his opinion on every item of clothing in the shop!

"Here he is!" she cheered and handing the Chuunin a small bundle of blue cloth that looked up at him. "Wow, all he needs is a cigarette and a forehead protector," he muttered poking the baby on the nose. "Lucky he got your looks Kurenai," he chuckled.

"I think he looks more like Asuma," he reasoned as the baby stared at Shikamaru's hair. "So go on! What's his name?" she grinned, he sweeping the look of sadness from her face.

"How am I supposed to know that!?" Shikamaru exclaimed staring at the baby.

"You're the one with the IQ of 200, not me," she laughed.

He looked at the baby again. It would either be something to do with red or wind because of Kurenai's general name and Asuma's ability to use wind chakra and he was a boy. It could be anything!

Ok, if he couldn't guess he'd just have to use his powers of observation. He looked over to the cot and sure enough there was some Hiragana on the side but the kanji next to it.

風郎

"Kazero," he announced. "Interesting choice, Wind Son" he added with a smirk. Kurenai's face was a picture.

He chuckled and looked down at the baby again that had suddenly taken a great interest in his thumb. "Let's see if as good with wind chakra as your daddy," he smiled. He looked down at the kid; he slid his forehead protector off his arm and placed it on the baby's head, "Look, He's a ninja already," he joked as the baby made a gurgling noise.

He looked over to Kurenai, she didn't seem cheerful anymore. She looked down at her knees, she'd gone quiet; a sure sign something was wrong. He noticed a tear slide down her cheek.

"I can't do this," she whispered. Shikamaru was taken aback, that was something Kurenai would never say. "Not without him, how can I bring a baby up and go on missions at the same time," she continued.

"That's what we have Iruka-sensei for! Konoha's top babysitter. He'll be fine, you'll be fine," he said, in an attempt to console her. Confirming his theories that women and children were far too much trouble.

He leaned over and gave her a hug, he knew she missed Asuma, he missed him. But he didn't have to raise his kid. "You'll be fine – you've got me, I'll try to be useful," he smiled.

The burst open as a small orange flashed rocketed into the room. "Shikamaru!!" it cried then skidded to a halt. "Oohh! I'll give you some privacy shall I?" it cried, who else? Naruto. Great! Here came the rumours. "Naruto! What do you want," Shikamaru groaned as he let go of Kurenai. "You're supposed to be leading our mission-tebayo!" the boy yelled waving his finger in Shikamaru's face. He sighed and muttered under his breath.

"You've got to come now!! Chouji's eaten all the ramen and Kiba won't stop moaning about Akamaru's fleas!" it was obvious that Naruto had no intention of leaving him in peace.

"And!! Neji's driving me crazy, 'look at me I can use Byakugan' BAKA!! I'm this close to Rasenganing him in the face!!" Naruto continued to rant until Shikamaru rammed his hand over his mouth.

"Shut up. You'll upset the baby, I'll be ten minutes, okay?" the Chuunin growled but it was hard to menacing with Kurenai sat behind him laughing. "I've been taking lessons from your sensei…" he smirked evilly looking over to the perplexed Naruto.

"Sennen…Goro-" He started

"Okaaayyy!!" Naruto wailed as he bolted out of the room. Kurenai couldn't stop giggling; at least she seemed happier now. "I guess you should really get going," she said, looking over to him. "Probably, I'll see you later," Shikamaru sighed, "Happy birthday Kaze-kun," he smiled and ruffled the boy's lack of hair. Kurenai chuckled as he bounced out of the room.

"Maybe we'll be ok after all," she whispered to the baby.