Hello and welcome. The story has officially been edited. Well, minor edit. I mean cosmetically and a few extra lines and minor changes here and there. Why? Well, I have a new addition in the middle of being edited as I update this. Both chapters are officially updated and a third is on the way!

So, feel free to reread and reconnect with our favorite little Nara family in preparation for the additions to come!

As he lay discarded on the ground, chakra completely depleted, Shikamaru began to say his goodbyes in his head, fearing his words will fail him. 'Guess I'll be seeing you soon old man, tch, what a drag. Oh well. Naruto… give'em hell.'

A smile crept across his beaten face.

Ino stood next to her dying comrade, screaming for anyone to save Shikamaru. The Nara was not sure what she was saying, but he could make out the hurt and fear in her voice. 'Heh, even in death I can't have peace. All this yelling has to be bad. Man.' He could not open his eyes, but he felt his best friend, Choji, land next to him with an almost audible thud.

Shikamaru had accepted his fate. Death was inevitable. He had to admit he could not complain about the circumstances. His closest friends stood next to him as he died in battle. He would be crowned a hero post-mortem back in the Leaf, hell, maybe even in all the villages. The only thing missing from his perfect black serenity was a loud mouth kunoichi. HIS loud mouth.

As his last breath began to leave his body, Shikamaru felt a soft wind brush over him. 'Heh, troublesome. Kami, you have a sick sense of humor.' With his final thought Shikamaru apologized, 'what a drag. Only regret is not telling you I love you.'

As she sprinted through the troops, Temari frantically searched for any sign of Shikamaru. When she finally spotted Ino, she knew something was wrong. The blue eyes of the young Yamanaka were filled with tears, and next to her knelt the large body of Choji. 'No. No anyone but him. He can't' she thought as she tossed her tessen to the ground and plopped hard onto her knees next to the now lifeless body of her Shikamaru.

"Shika! Shika, you bastard!" Temari shouted ferociously. "If you die now…", the words falling out of her trembling lips. Her face filled with sadness and fear. "You can't die, not now! I love you, you dumb bastard! You lazy good-for-nothing bastard! I love you, okay? Please, don't go." The pleading in her voice shattered Ino and Choji's hearts.

Ino was the only one capable of doing anything, merely managing to meekly place her hand on the Suna-nin's shoulder. The tears falling from Temari's emerald eyes landing directly on the lips of her fallen lover. She cradled his head in her arms for what felt like ages before coming to a decision. Madara would die or she would die trying.

-Four Years Later-

"Mommy, do we have to go?" pleaded a young, black haired boy. He looked up at his mother with his dulled emerald eyes. "Yes." She stated with a harsh tone, her hand placed on her hip. "Now go find your sister."

"Fine, but the stupid rock never talks back." the little boy bit back with a frown. His beautiful mother smiled her loving smile and said back, "he doesn't have to, now go!" And with that, the boy huffed and stomped off towards a large tree, whose shadow covered a small, dirty blonde girl.

The boy came running up to where his twin sister was napping, shouting for her. "Shikari! Shikari! Mommy's ready to go! Let's gooo lazy!"

Shikari, with her sandy hair oh so reminiscent of her mother's pulled back into four rambunctious pig tails, sighed and stood from her favorite napping spot. The spot itself had been worn of grass, as she knew someone in particular used the same spot. "Troublesome. I'm coming Temaku." She placed her hand softly on the worn patch before heading towards her mother.

Their mother, hands on her hips, shook her head as she thought, 'no denying who the father is.' She smiled another sad smile at this.

On occasion, despite all of her training and all of her beliefs, she would feel the bittersweetness that was her life. Her children, for all her love, reminded her on some days far too much of their father and it would hurt. For all her strength, she would try to hide it from the twins. A master of deception she may be, at least one of the twins was observant enough to notice the change, though they would never speak of it. The young one knew why her mother felt that way.

On the way to the new Konohagakure memorial, the trio ran into two familiar faces in Haruno Sakura and Inuzuka Kiba discussing new plans given to them by the seventh Hokage. "Oi, Temari! How are ya?" enquired an overly enthusiastic Kiba. "Down mutt." Sakura growled at him as she slapped the back of Kiba's head. The twin's giggled as Temari showed a (genuine) smile.

"I'm doing fine, so are the kids. We're on our way to visit him." Temari told the duo. Sakura now gave an understanding smile, while Kiba looked puzzled. "It's been nearly five years, shouldn't you be dating and what not?" asked Kiba, completely oblivious to the life threatening glare from Sakura.

Temari looked down at her left hand where a Nara heirloom was wrapped around her ring finger. "Dating's not my thing." Temari's kind smile was filled with a hot, but playful, malice as she turned towards Kiba. "Besides, I'm a Nara."

Sakura saw the glance and her glare swiftly transitioned into a face of caring, nodding at the dirty blonde. "Tell him I said hi, would'ya? This dog and I have some business to finish for Naruto. Really he's an incompetent Hokage. Can't take away from his leadership though. How bout we go out tonight for some drinks? I know there are more than a few willing babysitters." Sakura looked at the twins and noticed Shikari's hands behind her head accompanied by the Nara slouch, as Temaku glared that fierce glare at his sister.

"They look a lot like him."

"They do, don't they? Don't worry, I always tell him you guys say hey," Temari began to walk, holding onto her twins hands, "Oh and those drinks sound nice. Invite the rest will you?" Sakura lit up, before blurting out overenthusiastically, "Oh of course! See ya later Temari!"

Temari, as she did twice a week, kneeled down in front of the large memorial, after setting the twins off to play. "Hey, you lazy bastard. I'm back again. I brought the little ones. Heh, still can't believe you got me to sleep with you in the middle of a war."

Temari broke off her one-sided conversation momentarily to look down with a rosy blush. "Smooth bastard. You knew, didn't you? Of course you did, you're a know-it-all. I bet you planned it. I mean, you had a whole plan for us after the war. I love the ring just so you know. Yoshino told me you were worried I wouldn't accept, HA. She hasn't cried in a while. I think the twins help her with coping. Oh Sakura says hi. Actually, everyone says hi. They all love and miss you pineapple head."

Temari paused once more, as her beautiful eyes over flowed with tears. "I love you. I miss you so much. I wish…I need you here asshole! I know you can hear me, just give me a sign. Anything to show you love me, that you miss me too"

As Temari began to cry (though her face remained stern), a large cloud, in an otherwise empty sky, covered the memorial area in shadow. "Kami, you have a sick sense of humor." Temari let out as she laughed amidst her tears.

The beautiful kunoichi stood and brushed her fingers across one name, Nara Shikamaru. "Mommy, why're you crying? Did the rock say something mean?" asked Temaku, glaring at the memorial. "They're happy tears, dear," she began as Shikari perked up, curious to what caused such a reaction from her mother. "He told me he's here, for me and you two. Let's go visit Grandma Yoshino, maybe she'll babysit you kids tonight."