A/N: Ahaha, hello, hello! Yours truly is back! If you follow me on tumblr, you might have noticed that I wrote something about writing the multi-chap ShikaTema that some of you asked for. Well, this is NOT it. You see, I was in the middle of writing the first chapter and when it got a little dramatic, a plot bunny pestered me! This honestly ran way longer than I intended but damn, I am happy about it. Hoho. Anyways, this is a one-shot collection and it won't be following a strict timetable, save for the fact that it happens post-ShikaTema marriage...so mostly about married life and family. If you have any requests or ideas about oneshots that you want written, feel free to drop me a line! I will try my best to accomplish them. The rating is T, but that is subject to change, of course! I'll adjust it accordingly when the time comes.

Several important things for this universe of ShikaTema though... They have four kids. Shikadai is a given in respect to canon. Six years younger than him is Sayuri. Ten years younger than Shikadai and four years younger than Sayuri are Jiromaru and Miyuki. Please consider that when making requests. Hoho. I really would have loved if ShikaTema had more than one kid but naaaah, Kishi deprived us of it!

Dai is 12 here, Yuri is 6, the twins are 2, but those facts don't matter much in the story. I just thought you should know. So here you go...the first one shot in this collection!

She was about to reprimand her assistant when she came bustling in her small office in the Hokage tower. Of all the petty things that ticked her off, it was the sound of a door slamming open that gave her annoyance and nervousness. The ambassadress could barely hide her surprise when the chuunin delivered the news.

Temari dropped everything and fled. Her eldest son was in the hospital and under intensive care.

The pounding in her chest was as quick as her footfalls against the ground. The logical part of her reasoned that it didn't matter how soon she got to the hospital as she was no medic-nin. Ino was there. Sakura was there. All she is left with is waiting for whatever the outcome may be. However, her maternal instincts kicked in, making her stomach twist in ways that could only be relieved by running.

As soon as she arrived at the intensive care wing of Konoha's hospital, her throat constricted and her head felt light. She could feel her knees buckle at the sight of her son lying down on the operating table, unconscious. For a moment, she was relieved when she saw pink and platinum blonde tufts of hair moving about as they worked to ease Shikadai's condition.

Temari was about to sink to the floor when a strong arm went around her waist and a fist firmly (yet not painfully) pounded once on her back. Suddenly, her reflex to breathe returned and she sagged against her husband's form. Only then did she allow her eyes to close, so that she could stop the world from spinning.

She felt his hands move about her. Shikamaru removed the clasp of her Tessen and set her weapon down on the bench gingerly. Then, she felt herself being gathered and lifted up. Instinctively, Temari's head tucked on his shoulder for comfort as he sat them down on one of the chairs in the area.

The ambassadress couldn't even find it in her to care if she looked dignified or not, cradled on her husband's lap. Her mind was far from her own appearance and was very much with her firstborn's current state. The silence weighed down on her like a heavy magnet dragging her towards the ground. When she couldn't last a minute in it longer, she shifted and spoke.

"How much longer?" she asked, voice not above a whisper. Temari sought more of Shikamaru's comforting warmth, though his own erratic heartbeat was synchronising with her own panic.

The Hokage advisor sighed and shook his head before he buried his face into her blonde hair. "I'm sorry, Temari. I don't know."

A jagged breath that sounded like a scoff escaped her lips, though she didn't find his unawareness a fault. No one had come to talk to them yet as the situation was premature and the medic team in charge of Shikadai was probably still running diagnoses.

Several minutes passed and Yoshino arrived in the wing. Temari pulled herself away from her husband to acknowledge her mother-in-law. Looking up at the older Nara, the Suna princess' lip quivered at the sight of her crest-fallen face.

She didn't know how it happened, but Temari felt extremely guilty at the moment. It seemed that she had indulged far too much in her worry that she forgot that the situation affected the rest of her family, as well. "Kaa-san, I'm so—"

Yoshino silenced her with a gentle wave of her hand. Temari let out a breath when the elder Nara patted her shoulder. "It's all right, dear. You are allowed to be worried for your son."

Nodding, Temari focused on steadying her breath. Half an hour of waiting seemed like it was already half a day especially without news regarding Shikadai's circumstance. However, she knew she had to place her trust in her friends. They haven't ever let her down before; she was sure they weren't going to let her and her whole family down.

"Sayuri and the twins? Who's looking after them?" Temari asked as she found her voice once more. Her mind scattered at the thought of her three younger children, who probably were confused when their Obaa-chan had to go to tend to something urgent.

Vaguely, she wonders how to explain the whole thing to them. The twins wouldn't really ask, as they were too young to comprehend what was happening but Sayuri was as observant as she and her husband. The child would definitely ask why Mama, Papa, and Nii-chan didn't come home like they promised when night fell.

"Hakuto-san is; don't worry. They were napping when I left," Yoshino assured her softly, which brought a tentative smile to her face.

True enough, it was quickly wiped away when Ino emerged from the room with a chart in her hands. She clutched the clipboard tighter when she saw how distressed her friend was but she swallowed down her own emotions as she needed to stay professional when she discussed her nephew's case.

"Here," she said, handing Shikadai's chart to Temari. "It could very well have been blood poisoning but his own chakra seemed to prevent that from happening. We don't exactly know what happened in the latest Ino-Shika-Cho training, but Karui described it the best she could. She said that Shikadai summoned Earthy particles out of nowhere but instead of hurling them to the wooden target, these particles entered his body and combined with his chakra flow and bloodstream.

"Sakura and I managed to rid his vital organs of the particles and we're now working on the rest of his body. The initial findings on the particles show that Shikadai summoned neodymium, iron, boron, and nickel all at once. Do you guys have any idea how he could have done it?"

Temari's anxious eyes turned to her husband and searched his face for answers. Whether it was deliberate or not, Shikamaru had a clueless expression on his face before he began to think about the situation and its possible implications. Her own mind ran and before Shikamaru did, the ambassadress arrived at the only possible conclusion.

She stood up from her nestle on Shikamaru's lap and clutched her son's chart tighter in her gloved hands. Temari swallowed allowed herself to look at Shikadai's unconscious body before she turned away to address the people watching her.

Her jaw tightened and she swallowed her dread for a while. "It's the Kazekage clan's Kekkei Genkai. Otou-sama had it. Gaara has it to some extent. I never expected for it to awaken within my own son."

"Jiton…" she heard her husband mumble as if he were trying to wrap his head around the newly-established fact. Temari sat down next to Ino and handed the chart back to her. The constriction in her chest was back as she contemplated on the words that she was about to say.

Clearing her throat slightly, Temari found herself gripping the edge of her yukata tightly. "Ino, leave about 10% in total of the metals around his chakra gates, although considerably less around Shimon."

The medic-nin's eyes widened significantly. "What? But those are so close to his vital organs! You can't possibly ask us to—"

"I know, Ino," Temari pressed, cutting her off brusquely. "Don't you think I know that?!"

The medic's mouth closed into a thin line as she observed her friend. Whatever Temari has to say was certainly important so she waited for it. She, herself, didn't have an experience with the Magnet Release kekkei genkai but Temari did so she was going to listen. Ino allowed herself a frown when Temari put her face in her hands.

After calming herself, the ambassadress sat up once more. "It's the only way Shikadai will be safe. It's a great risk to take but it's better to take it now than have a repeat of this. He needs to start getting immune to the metals he is able to summon, else, it will result in actual blood poisoning the next time it happens."

Ino was having a hard time processing her friend's request and her conflict showed very much on her face. It was against the decree of medical ninjutsu to deliberately leave traces of what would have been fatal to the patient. Her own fist balled the fabric of her skirt before she nodded hesitantly. "Fine," she managed to choke out. "Fine, we'll do that."

"Thank you."

As soon as she had figured out what had happened to their son, Shikamaru could only witness how Temari turned from highly emotional into an emotionless shinobi on a mission. The worry in him ebbed away as soon as he saw her steadfast expression. They needed to do something, it seemed. A ritual or a procedure of some sort that Magnet Release users need to undergo as soon as they awakened to the kekkei genkai.

Shikamaru let his wife lead the process of preparing everything they needed for their firstborn, which included an empty room. He could only watch as Temari began to draw a seal that he was unfamiliar with on the floor. With all his genius, he couldn't predict what was going to happen in the next few hours or so. He trusted his wife to let him know, but for now, he obeyed her every request which included moulding his chakra.

"This is a Kazekage clan seal specifically created to help the kekkei genkai users to acclimate to their new ability," she started to explain, finally. Shikamaru nodded in understanding. "You're going to have to bind him on the seal. Back in Suna, we had to manually hold down people but we found that a little extreme since the people who helped in holding down the users suffer from minor limb damage in response to the overflow of the Jiton's summons."

Shikamaru placed a reassuring hand on her lower back, a silent promise that he will assist her in every step of the way to bring their son out of the woods. He felt a tremble which turned into a series of tremors and the Nara clan head took his wife into his arms once more.

"He is…" she tried to say but the tears flowed out now, making her sob. "He is going to be in a world of pain when this happens, Shika. And…a-and…they don't…they don't always s-survive—"

Such was the reason, it seemed, that there were very few Jiton users in the elemental nations. The truth was there in his face but he had a hard time swallowing it, as much as it pained Temari to do so. Shikamaru cradled her closer to him. "You know, he will. He's your son. He will pull through."

Temari's clung to him was desperate but her sobs have mostly subsided now. Still, he didn't let go of her. Whether he thought she needed the comfort or he was the one who needed it, he wasn't sure.

"He's our son," he heard her correcting him.

"He's our son," Shikamaru repeated firmly.

When the couple managed to rein their emotions in, they parted and shared a tender kiss…a final act to solidify whatever strength and determination they had mustered up for the crucial procedure. Shikamaru parted gently from his wife and panted lightly before placing another kiss on her forehead.

"We won't fail," he said with conviction.

Temari nodded, the look of determination back on her face. "We won't."

It wasn't long before their son was wheeled into the treatment room, and the couple practically leaped towards the stretcher. Shikamaru felt Temari's breath beginning to hitch once more so he grabbed her hand and squeezed firmly, hoping to assure her.

"Kaa…chan?" Shikadai's voice rasped. "Oyaji?"

Temari closed in on their son and pressed a loving kiss on the boy's clammy forehead. She desperately wanted to take her boy into her arms and hold him tight, but his body was still weak and he needs strength to undergo the procedure.

"You're okay, my love," Temari cooed softly, running a hand gingerly on his mop of black hair. "But we need to make sure you're going to be better. Tou-chan and I need you to trust us and stay strong through it, all right?"

The falter and the high-pitched tone was not lost on the intelligent boy. "What's wrong? What's going to happen?"

The blonde kunoichi rested a hand on her son's cheek and tried to smile reassuringly. "You awakened the Jiton…remember, Jii-sama's ability? And Gaara-ojisan's? You have that now and we need to make sure your own power doesn't harm you."

"Thought I only have wind chakra?" the boy queried, his curiosity not wavering even in his current predicament.

Temari managed to chuckle softly. "It seemed you inherited Tou-chan's earth chakra as well, and somehow they formed the jiton. It's really unsurprising now that we think about it, yeah?"

"I guess," Shikadai hummed. "Mendokusai na. Now, I have to train more than the usual."

It was Shikamaru's turn to bark out a laugh. Of course, his son would have to find troublesome things to be troubled by even at his sickbed. It just was the way Nara men of the main family were wired; there was no escaping it.

The Suna native took a breath and shuddered as she let go of her son for the meantime. "Dai…I…we need you to stay strong, okay? Please, tell me you'll try your hardest to endure the procedure."

"Of course. I wouldn't ever disobey you, Kaa-chan," he hummed. "Well, at least not this time."

The mother looked at her child and nodded. While she was relieved at his words, the nervousness in her heart wouldn't settle unless they were done with the ritual. She pressed one last kiss to her son's cheek before she turned to her husband and stepped aside.

Shikamaru gathered Shikadai up in his arms and laid him on the centre of the seal. He made sure that his son was even the slightest bit comfortable, though he knew the effort was futile given the events that would follow. "I'm going to have to bind you while it happens, okay? I'll allow your limbs to have movement so you won't have to suffer any injuries that aren't necessary."

"R-Right…" Shikadai said tentatively.

The father felt the nervousness in his son's voice and he scooted closer to him so that his wife wouldn't hear what he was going to say. Shikamaru wasn't exactly sure how Shikadai's nervousness regarding the whole situation would affect Temari but he wasn't going to take chances.

"Remember what Kaa-chan said, Dai? I really, really need you to bo strong for her, okay?" Shikamaru whispered. "This is one of the most important promises you're going to have to keep for us. Please."

The teal eyes that he got from his mother hardened from uneasiness to determination. It made Shikamaru's chest flutter as the sight was identical to what he sees whenever another certain teal-eyed Nara was on a mission. "Hai, Oyaji."

"Good. You are as brave and unswerving as your mother, son. It's why I am almost never worried about you," he smirked.

The boy smirked weakly in return. "Thanks, Oyaji. I'm ready."

Shikamaru left Shikadai lying down on the centre of the seal and took his place at one of it's edges, opposite his wife. There was nothing but fierce fortitude in Temari now, and he found the sight greatly calming. He felt Sakura and Ino take their place nearby in case something untoward happened, but Shikamaru didn't pay attention to the reason why they were there. Right now, he had something important to do.

In synchrony, they weaved the hand seals and Shikamaru's shadows bound their son on his wrists and ankles. Temari activated the seal and a flash of light brightened the room.

If it weren't the greatest emotional torture that she had to go through in her life thus far, she didn't know what was. Tears were quick to pool at the corners of her eyes as Shikadai's first pained scream resonated through the whole room.

Temari's whole body was tensed and even though the scene was the most painful to watch, she could not tear her eyes away from her son as he convulsed on the floor. Her mouth hung open and her pained whimpers and gasps were easily drowned out by Shikadai's yelps.

The kunoichi wanted to dig her nails to the ground but the slightest of dents will destroy the whole seal and put her son's life in greater peril. She didn't think she would survive when it was Gaara who underwent the process but the one happening now was a greater anguish to endure. Her face felt flush from the tension and the salty mixture of sweat and tears began to drip down to her neck.

There was nothing she wished more fervently for in that moment than the ability to take her son's agony.

Shikamaru was definitely not doing better. As soon as the ritual started, his head felt light and a dizzy spell was threatening to overcome him. However, he gritted his teeth as he told himself that his son was suffering a greater deal than he did. The Hokage advisor bit his lip until it bled and he dared to check on his wife opposite him.

He almost wished that he didn't. The Nara male had never seen his wife so helpless that she resorted to crying freely. Shikamaru always looked to Temari for resilience, but the scene before him was anything but. His chest tightened and his stomach began to turn on itself.

Shikamaru increased the pressure on his throat so that the bile won't rise. However, he couldn't hold it down for long, he knew. Thankfully, as soon as the urge became far too potent to resist, the light faded and the ritual finished. Releasing his binds on his son, he clutched his stomach and turned, spewing his guts on the floor and breathing heavily.

When she was sure it ended, Temari lifted herself up and, on shaky feet, ran over to where her son was and nestled him in an embrace. She couldn't stop the tears from falling, yet she knew that instead of distress, she was crying in relief now.

"See? I made it," the boy in her arms cockily whispered, the rawness in his throat obvious. His voice was far too small and raspy for her liking, and he seemed as small as he was when she first held him in her arms. The fragility was almost too similar that it gave her another bout against breathing normally.

Temari breathed heavily and her hands shook as she held her son. "You did," she replied, her voice quivering. "You did. I'm so, so proud of you, akachan."

Normally, Shikadai would have protested at the nickname. After all, there were three other Nara kids who were more suitable for the nickname but he understood the gravity of the situation. Hell, he would be a fool if he didn't understand. Every nerve ending in his body reminded him of what he just went through.

"Mattaku, Oyaji," Shikadai groaned as Shikamaru neared. "You smell horrible."

Temari whipped her head to the side to look over her husband. When she found nothing that could explain why, she looked over to the spot where he was for the last few minutes, and found a small pool of vomit. Silently, she questioned him with her eyes.

"I'm okay, now," he assured her with a small smile. Shikamaru turned his attention towards his son and patted his head gently. "Good going, gaki."

Shikadai mustered a small grin, a tired version of his and his mom's identical wide grins. "Thanks."

"How do you feel, akachan?" his mom asked.

His shoulders rose as he attempted to shrug. "I feel every stretch of muscle and skin that I have, but I can't move them all that much. My head kinda stings, though."

"Head…" Temari muttered before she finally felt the thick dampness on her gloved hands. Panic set in her eyes and she whipped her head towards her friends. "Ino! Sakura!"

The two medic-nin's quickly ran over to where the three Nara were and Ino carefully took Shikadai from Temari as Sakura went on to check his head. The pink-haired ninja frowned as she healed the injury. "His head split open, no surprise, but I've healed it now. We're going to take several more precautions in his recovery so we can ensure no brain damage. Gomen, Shikadai-kun. I know you must be craving for rest right now, but we're going to have to keep you awake a little longer."

Brain damage. The words resonated in Shikamaru's mind over and over again. Honestly, it would be the worst thing to happen to anyone, but so much more to a Nara. Their clan prided themselves in having the brains, and if that somehow gets tarnished in his son, he wouldn't know what to do. On instinct, he clutched his wife's hand for comfort.

The distress and worry was well-drawn on Temari's face once more. It seemed that after one ordeal, her son had to go through another. It was like a vicious cycle, and the Suna-Konoha ambassadress was getting sick of it. She gripped her husband's hand firmly to let out some of the tension.

Shikadai looked at his parents and felt extremely uneasy. It was his first time seeing them in such a state. His father was usually level-headed, and his mother was the epitome of unwavering endurance under pressure. As much as it tired him to do so, he laid a hand on their twined ones and tried to squeeze. "I'll be fine."

The contact and his voice brought them out of their shared torment, and the couple looked at their firstborn in surprise. And then surprise turned into wonder. How could they ever doubt him? After all, he was one of the products of their love. He was one of the best of both of them. It wasn't fair to not believe in him.

By the third time that he was woken up to have his vitals checked, Shikadai had grown irritated at the whole situation. The boy loved to sleep like his father, and being interrupted from it made his mood sour, naturally. He wanted to make a countdown in his mind until the last of these hourly check-ups but he was forbidden to strain his mind and was advised to not think so much.

It was a foolish thing to ask of the son of the two known strategists in the Fire and Wind countries, respectively. Absolutely foolish…but he had no choice.

His parents had kept a vigil in his recovery room, taking turns in sleeping. Neither of them could sleep for more than two hours, though. Yoshino-baachan stayed until sunrise and he appreciated her presence. She wasn't as panic-filled as his parents—which was why he found her very calming, like always—but her concern was just as great.

Sixteen hours after his most painful ordeal thus far, Shikadai had begun to regain his strength. It wasn't enough to resume to his usual activities, but it was enough for him to try and walk around. There were still several wires that were connected to him so he could only do so within his room, but it would have to do for the meantime to sort out the kinks in his muscles.

His dad had gone to retrieve his and mom's paperwork from the Hokage tower so they could stay with him until he was discharged. It left him alone with his mom for a couple of hours so he took the opportunity to ask her the questions he had bubbling in his mind.

Shikadai dragged the tray of machines so he could go near Temari. The act was enough to tire him out so he climbed on her lap and sighed heavily. "I guess I shouldn't have done that."

The wind kunoichi chuckled and wrapped her arms around her boy. "Shouldn't have. What's up?"

"How'd you know?" he asked, looking up at her identical teal eyes.

A smirk formed on his mom's lips and Shikadai blinked twice, awaiting her answer. "You have that same look when your Tou-chan has something weighing heavily on his mind."

The genin grinned a little sheepishly. "Are you going to scold me for thinking too much, Kaa-chan?"

He felt her stomach quake as she let out an indulgent chuckle. "Thinking is easier for us Nara to do rather than not thinking. You'll probably hurt your head more in the effort of suppressing your thoughts, little fawn."

Rolling his eyes, Shikadai huffed slightly. "I guess."

"So, what's your question, Onii-chan?" she probed.

Shikadai constructed and deconstructed the question he had in his mind. "Can you tell me something about the kekkei genkai?"

Temari hummed and looked pensive, gathering her thoughts. "Well, other than the facts that you know, it's an extremely delicate kekkei genkai, difficult to control. Since the human body contains iron in the blood, the kekkei genkai can be destructive to the user if you don't learn how to control it properly. Given the elements that your chakra summoned from the Earth's crust, we're going to have quite the time mastering that ability of yours."

"Why?"

She pursed her lips and sighed softly. "Well, you summoned four elements all at once. It's a grand feat in itself. Your Ojii-sama could only summon gold. Your Gaara-ojisan summons metallic sand. Shinki summons iron. As far as I could remember, yours is the first of its kind, summoning multiple elements."

Shikadai nodded against her chest. "How come you didn't know I have it, Kaa-chan?"

"Gaara got it from our father. Otou-sama got it from his father and so forth. I honestly assumed it was exclusive to the inheritor's ability to propagate the kekkei genkai. Clearly, I didn't inherit it, so I didn't think you or any of your siblings would. And clearly, that was an incorrect assumption," his mom explained. "It's all the work of complicated genetics, Nii-chan."

"So, it's possible that Sayuri, Jiromaru, and Miyuki have inherited it, too?" he dared ask.

Temari blinked, her face hardening for a moment. It was a possibility that she didn't wish to face just yet but her firstborn does tend to surprise her from time to time. "Possible."

The 12-year-old noticed the tension in his mother and wished that he didn't ask the question. The implications, after all, were a little harrowing to think about. "You don't want them to…"

The rigidity on Temari's face melted as she faced her son once more. She took a breath and nodded. "It's obvious why. And the more power the four of you have under your arsenal, the more political things could turn out for us, as a family."

A frown settled upon his lips. "What do you mean, Kaa-chan?"

She let her head fall back against the posterior of the chair she was sitting on. "When your Tou-chan and I decided to start a family, we managed to both agree to keep you away from the politics as much as we could. Our marriage, while very much founded on mutual respect and affection, was followed by a great deal of politics…more so on my side. My side of the family is crucial to Suna, as you know, while Konoha didn't really meddle much into the business of the Nara clan."

"Is it because the Nara aren't really considered when choosing the next Hokage?" Shikadai asked, duly curious.

Temari shook her head. "Not at all. In fact, the Nara are more than qualified to take on the job more than other people, but it's just…well, your grandfather didn't want it even if he were offered. And can you really imagine your Tou-chan as the Hokage?"

"Well—"

"I mean he has the qualifications to do so, but it's just not in Shika's personality to undertake such an audacious position," Temari explained. "Anyway, back to the point. Suna's affairs are more hierarchical than Konoha."

"Yeah, it's weird. We're like royalty there," he said stiffly.

Temari chuckled bitterly. "That's because we are, loathe as I am to admit. See, when your Tou-chan and I got married, the Suna council wanted us to live there. Shikamaru was ready to drop his clan and acquiesce but I didn't have it. I talked to him and said that if we were to have a family, we'll be buried underneath the politics. I didn't want your childhood to be tainted by such. I grew up with politics basically running my life, and I wouldn't wish it on you and your siblings."

"But don't you love Suna?"

She nodded fervently. "I do. I would do anything for Sunagakure, do anything to protect it and uphold its values. However, I cannot find it in myself to offer up my children to be enslaved by its politics. We didn't have the four of you just so one could bear the responsibility of succeeding the 'throne' even before you are born. It's not fair."

"But it's okay if Gaara-ojisan adopts, and makes a protégé and Kazekage candidate in Shinki?" Shikadai asked.

"That's a different case. Gaara took it upon himself to be Kazekage because he wanted the responsibility to care for Sunagakure, and redeem its slightly dark past. It's his life's mission, if you will. He was pressured to adopt Shinki so that he could silence the council, but he will not force the responsibility down Shinki's throat if the boy doesn't want it," Temari explained. "Besides, Gaara is young. There's still a lot of time before he needs to start worrying about successors or whatnot. A soul akin to his might surface somewhere and express his desire to become Kazekage. Until then, Gaara retains the hat."

"Okay then," Shikadai said, understanding. "But what has that got to do with me, Yuri, Jiro, and Yuki?"

"Mm. Well, the Suna council might not be as narrow-minded as they were before, but they still are very much traditional. They would prefer a clan member to succeed Gaara, when it comes to it. Kankuro isn't going to have children anytime soon, and I don't think Gaara will actively pursue a relationship that could bring about an offspring to succeed him," Temari mused. "Naturally, the responsibility of hierarchical succession falls to me, the sole third of the Suna no Sankyodai with natural progeny. And four at that. In short, you four have an even greater claim to the title than Shinki. Even more so now that you have manifested the Kazekage clan's kekkei genkai, and a powerful version at that."

Shikadai's eyebrows crinkled towards the centre at the thought. "Doesn't the Suna council prefer a shinobi who grew up, attended academy, and further trained in Suna?"

"That is what they claim. However, in a bout between keeping the Kazekage succession pure and wanting a purely-bred Suna shinobi for the job, I can't say for sure which one would dominate," Temari said darkly. "We can't say for sure which of the two situations will adhere to their traditional side more."

The genin was silent for a few minutes, as he considered the facts that his mother presented. His hands busied themselves with playing with the fabric of Temari's obi as he did so. "…And if one of us wants the title?"

It was his mom's turn to swim in her thoughts in silence. All the while, Temari had actively kept her children away from the dirty politics of Sunagakure and she has been successful thus far. It hasn't occurred to her that one of her own would be enticed by the Kazekage title, since majority of their lives would be spent in Konoha.

"I'd like to say I'll cross the bridge when we get there but that's a weakling's reasoning and a route for escapism. If one of you would want the title, then who am I to take it away from you? As long as your intentions are clear and your visions are well-defined, your father and I would be powerless against your will. Why ask? You interested, Nii-chan?"

Shikadai looked up at his mother as if she grew a second head.

"No!" he exclaimed, but then he figured he shouldn't really dismiss the idea without giving it much thought and having enough experience in Suna. "I mean…no, it seems too much of a job for me. I wouldn't be surprised if Yuri-chan wants it, though."

Temari raised a brow. "Oh? And why is that?"

"She kinda praises the ground Gaara-ojisan walks on because he spoils her so much. The twins haven't been to Suna so I can't tell who'll be likely to want it, and they're too young," Shikadai reasoned. "Besides, Yuri-chan's…bossy."

Her son's line of reasoning elicited a hearty laughter from the ambassadress. Temari shook her head and kissed her firstborn's forehead. "We'll see. My preference in the end doesn't matter if it comes to that, and what kind of mother would I be if I can't support my kid's decisions?"

Shikadai shrugged. "The deer-tending could hold her back, though. She loves playing with them."

"Mmhmm," she crooned. "So do you, Nii-chan."

"I like them because they are smart," Shikadai grinned before letting out a yawn.

Temari held her son close. "Want me to transfer you to the bed?"

"Nah," Shikadai mumbled as he curled up to his mother. "I'm good here."

"If you're sure…" Temari mumbled.

Shikadai peeked one eye open. "Kaa-chan, how are we going to master my kekkei genkai?"

"We go to the place where it originated, of course," she said, combing hand through his hair tenderly to make him fall asleep faster.

A brow languidly raised. "Won't that let the Suna council know of my ability? Thought you wanted to keep us away from them as much as possible?"

Temari smirked and sighed. "Eh, I'll manhandle them somehow."

"You'll blow them away to the West Desert?" the boy grinned mischievously, as he could just imagine his mom wielding her giant fan.

"Something like that," she promised.

The boy hummed lazily before he succumbed to a much-needed naptime. Before sleep claimed him, though, his mischievous grin widened a fraction as he realised a thoroughly exciting prospect.

They were so going to Suna soon.

A/N: One last thing though...Let's keep the oneshot prompts light and happy! For the life of me, I really cannot write angst. Not cannot as in I don't want to; cannot as in it is not in my ability. A little drama, sure, but angst is a genre far away from my grasp. Besides, after all that ShikaTema have been through, why subject them to the angst, man? Give them a break. Lol. Cheers!

Kaa-san-Mother
Kaa-chan-Mom
Tou-chan-Dad
Oyaji-Old Man
Otou-sama-Father
Akachan-Baby
Nii-chan-Big Brother
Gomen-Sorry
Obaa-chan-Grandma
Kekkei Genkai-Bloodline Limit
Gaki-Kid
Ojisan-Uncle
Ojii-sama-Grandfather
Hai-Yes
Mattaku-expression denoting exasperation
Mendokusai na-How troublesome; What a drag
Shimon-Eighth chakra gate; The Gate of Death