I've really wanted to write something different- something that's not like what I've read up to now. I eventually decided to write a story about Shikamaru's parent- Shikaku and Yoshino. Aside from just liking two of them... they seem to be the only 'proper' couple we see in the series. We meet some of the dads (like Shibi and Inoichi), and Kiba's mom (Tsume Inuzuka). A lot of the time, we don't see either parent.

The previous generation of Shinobi (aka, 'the parents') are pretty interesting people, so there's a lot of potential when it comes to writing for them. I really like Shikaku... he's very sensible if you think about it (he has several really good lines in the series). Shikamaru really should take him more seriously, he could learn a lot from him. Yoshino Nara is surprising fun to write for since she doesn't take any crap from others.


SHADOWPLAY

.o.o.o.

Yoshino Nara, head of the Nara household, cast of her apron as she left the kitchen to go relax in the main room. Her son was out for the time being... probably being his usual lazy self. The dark-haired woman was convinced that laziness was encoded in the very DNA of Nara men.

The more she thought about, the more sense it made! One need only look at her husband to see that this was true. Shikamaru was practically an avatar of his father... though he had this sarcastic side that her husband (thankfully!) lacked. Both of them possessed such brilliant minds, yet they both so sluggish and unmotivated! She shook her head as she thought about it. She worried... quite a bit in fact. One of her biggest concern being her son's future. She sincerely hoped that HE would FIND a girl and settle down...

...Instead what had happened with her and Shikaku.

Her husband had always just sort of gone along with things, letting her run the show. His lack of drive and ambition almost made her want to scream at times. Still, as big a pain as her husband and son were, she couldn't imagine not having them in her life... She smiled to herself, realizing that in spite of her earlier complaint, she had happily accepted Shikaku's proposal- that is, once he'd finally gotten around to proposing! Speaking of of the man she married... Yoshino arrived in the main room to see her husband, sitting on a tatami mat in the middle of the room, casually skimming the pages of an old book.

As she looked at him, she felt a poignant mix of irritation, affection, and a bit of desire as well... (He ofter had that affect on her!) As she thought about the situation, Yoshino suddenly found herself in a rather "clingy" mood. Yes, even she had times when she wanted to be held and fussed over! Yoshino wanted her genius husband to focus his attention on her instead of that book... She'd just have to give him the motivation.

Shikaku suddenly felt someone's gaze on him. He calmly set his book down, only to jump slightly as a familiar (soft and feminine!) warm body leaned against his back. He sighed and smiled inwardly as Yoshina perched her chin between his shoulder and neck. In spite of what she likely thought of him, he actually rather enjoyed it when she acted all touchy and emotional. ...So he couldn't really complain about having his wife pressed up against him. "Such a needy woman..."

"...I was wondering when you'd show up." She remarked in a slight pouting tone.

"Is something troubling you Yoshino-dear...?" He asked in his usual calm voice.

She snaked her arms around his chest and leaned into him... the pleasant feeling of his wife's body pressed against him made Shikaku blush ever so slightly. Yoshino exhaled and closed her eyes for a few secants... savoring their closeness. She then looked at him with her sharp eyes for a moment. "...Wanna fool around?"

.o.o.o.

"...er, what?" He asked her in a slightly surprised voice.

She shook her head, but carried on regardless. "Well, Shikamaru's out for the day... and we've the house to ourselves..." She reasoned with a smile. "No sense in letting this time go to waste. So... you wanna fool around?" She asked with a smile. "Come on- I wanna have some fun with my husband!"

He detected a tinge of frustration in her voice- it was almost cute! Shikaku shook his head and chuckled to himself. He closed his eyes and started murmuring something under his breath. She became quiet and looked at, curious as to what he was doing. Yoshino's eyes went wide and she jumped with a gasp when she suddenly felt something (several somethings in fact) touching her! She could feel them moving- across the small of her back, up against her stomach and breasts... and up along her thighs!

"W-wait! What are you- huh...? Shikaku, you jerk!" She began. "Ahh! N-no! D-dooon't use your S-shadooow jutsuuu on me... ahaha!" She exclaimed amidst a fit of laughter. Yoshino toppled onto her back as her husband's shadow limbs continued to accost her body. She blushed, realizing that she'd been ensnared by his technique... and by the fact that her husband's 'shadows' were now slinking along her- slipping under her clothes! Worse yet, she was being felt up!

She suddenly felt silent, turning dark red as she felt one of the shadows cup her breast gently. She glared up at her husband- just in time to stop one of the shadows as it moving up her thigh towards her... Yoshino looked up at her husband (who was now hovering over her) with a mix of rage and affection on her face. "What's gotten into you, Shikaku? You haven't done this in ages!" She exclaimed. Her expression morphed into a smile as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down to kiss him.

He smiled at her comment- it was true, he hadn't 'jumped' her in ages... years ago! "You minx! It's not nice to tease a man... even a Nara." He began, leaning in to place a quick kiss on her lips before continuing. "You might have retired from your ninja work, but as far I'm concerned- your body was always your deadliest weapon!" He added, kissing her again.

She felt the shadows retract and smiled... hopefully he'd be taking their place soon! He pulled back and looked down at her- their eyes meeting amidst the silence. Yoshino smiled warmly as she looked at his face, noting the long scars that marked his features.

They told her that while her husband was a genius, he was still a warrior. "You know, Shikaku... I've always liked these scars." She began in a silky tone. "They help me remember what a strong man you are... And they make you look really sexy." Yoshino blushed at her own forwardness. She suddenly suddenly felt excited and giddy... and in love!

Shikaku narrowed his eyes as he looked down at his wife. "Well Yoshino, I like every part of you..." He began, sliding his hand up along her leg and causing her to gasp as he moved across the soft white skin of her thigh. "But it's always been your fierce eyes that really turn me on!" His voice was low and measured, and it made her feel warm all over."From the very beginning, I wanted to feel your burning gaze on me. I wanted to be the only man you looked at with those passionate eyes."

Yoshino reached up and traced her fingertips along the scars... The slender marks all ran at an angle and the tissue was slightly rough to the touch. Shikaku shifted his hand upwards and cupped the side of her face gently. "That doesn't surprise me, you're the only man whose ever infuriated me so much." She replied. "Still, in spite of all that... you're a good man." She paused. "Kiss me..."

With her simple command burning in his mind, he leaned down and captured her lips with his. Yoshino felt her entire body softening as they embraced and kissed... In such matters as this, Yoshino didn't mind yielding control to him- allowing him to part her soft lips and brush his tongue against hers. She moaned into his mouth as their tongues mingled.

Eventually, Shikaku broke the kiss... much to the consternation of his flustered partner/wife/lover. However, Yoshino gasped as he deftly scooped her up into his arms and rose to his feet in a quick fluid motion. She smiled and held tightly onto her husband as he quickly made a haphazard dash towards their bedroom!

.o.o.o.

It all seemed to happen so quickly! Shikaku had chivalrously picked her up in his arms and carried her back to their bedroom... After that, things became a little blurry for both of them. Yoshino clung to him as they moved while Shikaku moved against her. They embraced, desperate for fulfillment! ...Then, both were aware of a deep sense of fulfillment in the aftermath...

Yoshino smiled as she nestled against her husband's side. He had an arm around her soft warm body as she half-dozed. After a moment, she looked up at him and smiled casually. She began to slowly trace her finger along the various scars on his body... There was one in particular that she liked- a long slender scar that started at his left collarbone and ran south-east down across his chest. "Wow..." She murmured softly.

He glanced down at her as she continued. "You were so enthusiastic... It sort of reminded me of when we first got married." She added with a smile. "Still, it's been way too long since we did this... And I think we both needed it because we had so much pent-up energy in us just waiting to be let out." She continued tracing the rough contours of his strong body. "And of course... it's nice to know that my body can still excite you so much after all these years." She added with a blush.

He smiled at her, pulling her closer against him. "You were incredible... you haven't changed at all." He began in a soft tone as he stroked her back with his hand. "When I touch and feel your body, it's just like it was when we first got together." He then caught her roving hand in his, and kissed her palm. "Though I can't say the same for myself- the years haven't been so forgiving for me... I've got a few new aches and pains that I could really do without." He admitted with a sigh.

Yoshino chuckled and shook her head. "Don't be so hard on yourself." She began. "Right now, I have no complaints... I feel so happy in your arms." She replied wistfully. "You haven't lost your touch Shikaku... it felt just as good I remember.... In fact, I think I liked more because I'm even more in love with you now." She continued. "It was a amazing... you took me all the way to the end! ...And your back didn't act at all the entire time!" She added enthusiastically.

He looked at her for a moment. "So... then you weren't faking it then?" Shikaku asked the dark-haired woman with a slight smile, prompting her to lightly swat him. He snickered, then leaned back and looked upward. "Well... that's certainly good to know... I guess there really is life after forty." He replied with a smile.

Yoshino sighed faintly and glanced away. "Ugh... Don't remind me." She began. "I'm going to be turning forty this year..." She pouted humerously. She then looked back at him and climbed up to rest her head on his chest. "Shikaku... We've been married for almost twenty years now, and we've managed to raise a son between us... I don't think we've done too bad- do you?" She asked.

Shikaku sighed and shook his head. "Age doesn't mean anything, you're still the same attractive woman I fell in love with all those years back." The dark-haired man reasoned. "As for our son- Shikamaru's a good kid... And despite how much he complains... He can always be counted on to step up and do what's needed." He reasoned.

Yoshino nodded. "You're right... Deep down, I know he's a good kid..." She reasoned. "And despite taking after you... our son seems to growing up to be a good man." She added teasingly.

Shikaku propped himself up on his side and looked at the dark-haired woman beside him. She was also turned slightly on her side (and resting on her elbow) so as to better see him. "Earlier, when we were talking... I meant what I said." He began softly. "Despite how I may come across, you were woman that I wanted to be with." She blushed faintly as he continued. "I proposed to you because I was in love with you... and I wanted you in my life."

Yoshino smiled warmly at his words, her long dark hair shifting slightly as she moved to look directly at him. "It's the same for me... I realize that I must come off as being pretty harsh most of the time..." She paused. "I love you... and I've been in love with you from the very start." She slowly titled her head up and closed her eyes... Shikaku leaned in and kissed her gently, causing her to moan faintly as they kissed.

She pulled back and grinned at him. "Even after all these years- you're still such a perv!" She said teasingly while tracing a finger across the lines on his chest. "Seriously, what sort of Jounin uses his Jutsu to feel up his wife?!" She added with a smile.

He reached up and caught her smaller hand in his. He leaned in and placed kissed on her fingers and palm. "Really now... You're the perverted one!" He countered with a smile. "The moment you saw me... the first thing you did was use you body to seduce me!

Yoshino rolled her eyes at the remark. "Honestly now, is it even that hard to seduce you?"

He grinned at her. "Oh trust me, it is... It only seems easy to you because you're good as it."

She shook her head and smiled. "Really now... you're making me sound like I'm some sort of temptress." She replied, sitting up and lifting up her arms to stretch with a yawn. Shikaku watched his wife's figure in the dull light... enthralled by the image of her bare breasts.

Shikaku scooted downward, along her body, so that his he was now resting his head in her lap. "I could never resist you or your body..." He began in a soft voice. "Touching you, being close to you... I always feel so calm when I'm close to you."

She smiled as she caressed the back of his head and neck. He continued as she held him. "I can't help wanting to be close to you... I feel so calm with you... Your body soothes me, it's my sanctuary." Shikaku offered with a contented sigh.

Yoshino looked at the resting figure of her husband and smiled warmly. "I'm your 'sanctuary...?" she asked softly, as she ran her hand across his back soothingly. "I think I like the sound of that..."

~THE END~


I'm not totally sure where the inspiration for this story came from... I think that I wanted to try my hand and doing something different. I also wanted to write something about a married couple. Unlike the younger characters, Shikaku and Yoshino are already married and have an established relationship. It was fun writing this, though I wonder if you guys will like it. Please let me know what you thought of it.

-Bojack727