Chapter_One_Relish

"I… I don't think that's how you should arrange the flowers? Not to sound like I'm prying or anything, but-"

"But you are prying," concluded Ino almost happily, her mind obviously far too focused on some matters to care what the hands were doing. Currently, they were manhandling the flowers and should she keep this up, within the next few moments they'd be surely reduced to unusable trash.

But really, Ino was above that at the moment and her eyes the color of sky landed on Sakura's lithe figure leaning inconspicuously against the counter. The shop was quiet this early in the morning and the Yamanaka family wasn't expecting any customers soon. Ino wouldn't be perturbed even if any soul dared enter the store now, possessing a keen sense of urgency in all her deeds that surely the person would flee upon the sight of her and rather come a bit later, when the self-proclaimed beauty wasn't as preoccupied as she was now.

And really, this was for more interesting than making the ends meet.

"Okay, okay. Once more. And then he just walked off? Like that?"

Sakura shot her a glare. "Yes and how many are you going to ask me? I've told you millions of times already-"

"Actually, just four, but that's alright, forehead-girl," interrupted her Ino, subsequently sending a devilish wink in her direction. Sakura fumed and seethed and Ino took a break from her job.

Maybe she was teasing, maybe she was being too cruel, but nothing could deny her the pleasure of the weekly Sakura-teasing session that would commence right upon her arrival to the Yamanaka flower shop every Thursday morning and Friday evening. Besides, it brought back memories.

An apologetic smile was shot in Sakura's direction and Ino forgot about her duties for a while, putting the slightly damaged flowers aside and focusing completely on her dismayed friend.

"Sorry~. Will stop joking now, promise! So… And it troubles you?"

Sakura had calmed down at last, yet still the tender shade of pink matching wonderfully with her hair tinted her cheeks. "Troubles me… Yes, I'd say so. I mean… If you'd only seem them… They looked like a…" She made a vague gesture with her hands and shrugged.

Ino had an inkling something was still eluding her. "You think they are… Um. Um." And despite all her teasing nature, despite the years she'd spent being on the team with two other guys – a thing that ought to have taught her a lesson or two about being straightforward in expressing even her utmost wishes –, she couldn't help but stutter helplessly at what odd thought had crossed her mind then.

Sakura watched her, patient, unsuspecting, and a few moments later, after being left to her incessant worries for way longer than she'd have liked, Ino snapped at last and, in a voice incoherently rapid and overtly loud, shouted with all her might, the word "together".

Then. Silence.

Ino wheezed and blushed, eyes peering up at Sakura with a considerable amount of shame. "You mean… A-are… Um, d'you think they're together? Like… Together together?"

Sakura didn't reply, although the look of horror and embarrassment to gradually overcome her features was a giveaway to her thoughts. Ino watched, sadistically pleased to note her words had this impact on the poor girl's mind. Undoubtedly, she reckoned, Sakura's mind was conjuring all possible scenarios involving Sasuke and Naruto, and it was only a bit later, after Sakura had gone the darkest possible shade of red and stuttered here and there awkwardly, that Ino realized the thought wasn't as amusing as it'd struck her at first.

"No! Ino~… That … So. No! They're… Not. I think. Oh, god. I don't know? I mean, they, um-"-Sakura paused, took a deep breath and launched again into a nonsensical rant full of gasps and groans of disdain and other things. "They weren't holding hands, you know?"

Wistful, Ino smiled. "Not all couples hold hands."

"But they didn't even k-kiss!"

"Not all couples wait to be seen before kissing."

"But they…"

"Well, se-"

"Finish that sentence and die."

Ino laughed sheepishly and lifted her hands in mock resignation. "Okay, okay, sorry for teasing."

Sakura grumbled something quite nasty to herself and Ino was glad for once that she'd not possessed this monstrous strength years ago; to think she could have been literally pummeled to ground… She shuddered.

"I'm serious, Ino. If you'd been there… Besides… Wait. How come you're so cool with it? I mean, you used to crush on Sasuke."

Ino shrugged. "Yes, but that was ages ago."

"So you don't like him anymore?"

"Well, sure, Sasuke still oozes the charisma in waves and, seriously, he's gotten so hot, too. Ah~…" She blushed and fanned herself; it was getting hotter in the room, was it not? "But…" She coughed and narrowed her eyes somewhat, all teasing suddenly completely gone, as if spirited away upon the flashing memory of Sasuke from twelve years. "Yeah, I got over him ages ago."

"Ages ago," echoed Sakura, clearly mistrustful.

Ino stared at her intently. "Fine, fine, so it was just a few years back, actually. Does it matter?"

"But how?"

"How what?"

"How did you get over him? You never gave up before."

"Neither did you, sister."

"That's different…"

"I don't see how or why," said Ino in an elevated voice, prompting a disgruntled groan from Sakura's parted lips.

"Ino…"

"What?"

Sakura was staring, her resolve unwavering.

Ino thought about her reactions for a moment, thinking back to when Sakura had frightfully mentioned them first, how she'd emanated such primal fear that had it been laced with chakra, surely all flowers in the shop would have withered right away. Maybe it was time to take her seriously, to cease the teasing once and for all – or at least until the girl's mood improved, for drastically it was starting to affect her too, that worry creasing Sakura's brows even now.

She looked outside the window, noting the few early risers already walking the streets and chatting softly to one another. And further away in the distance, Naruto's face carved into stone stood, almost identical to his father's and almost beautiful.

"Shikamaru told me."

"… What?"

Ino glanced back at Sakura. "Shikamaru told me to give up on Sasuke."

Sakura looked confused. Ino thought – for good reason.

"Shortly before Naruto was made the next Hokage, Shika, Chouji and I went on a mission to secure the borders. And Shikamaru just pulled me aside suddenly and told me to give up on Sasuke."

"Just like that."

Ino nodded.

Sakura bit down on her lower lip, lost in thought for a moment. "But why would he say that?" she asked after a moment. "And why would you listen to him?"

"You weren't there, Sakura. It was… He never cared before, you know? Always just rolled his eyes, said it was troublesome but otherwise he acted like he couldn't have cared for the world who I liked or not. But then… I don't know. He just came to me, looked me in the eye and… Said it."

Ino closed her eyes.

"Ino, there's something I need to talk to you about. Listen and don't freak out. Please, give up on Sasuke. Give up on him now. The way he is now, he can't see anyone else. He couldn't even if he tried, I think. He's too deep in it, in… That thing with… Look, please, just listen to me, alright? I know you were hoping to get some time with him alone now that he's been allowed to roam the village freely once more, but there's no point in it. Whatever you do, he can't see you. That thing he has going on with him… Keeps him… Blind. There's no way that Uchiha Sasuke will ever look at you or Sakura that way."

"Not when he is around."

Ino's eyes snapped open. Shikamaru's words echoed ominously in her mind. Suddenly, she was realizing something that had escaped her teetering attention years ago. Suddenly, there were a few words keeping her attention firmly on the matter at hand.

Not so suddenly, she was starting to understand Sakura's worries.

"Who is him?"

Sakura blinked. "What?"

"Shikamaru… He told me, back then, that Sasuke was too deep in that thing with him, that he's got a thing going with him… I never." She paused, frowned and straightened herself out, looking directly into Sakura's eyes, the gradually deepening frown a reflection of her thoughts. "I never thought of it before, I was too angry with him, I think, even if I did listen to him eventually, but now that I think about it… Shikamaru knew."

"Just trust me on this one, Ino. Please."

Sakura's eyes widened, resembling saucers the shade of frightened, whitened red. "Of course, Shikamaru is Naruto's advisor, has been for years. Didn't Naruto personally ask him even before he'd been made the Hokage?"

"Yes, he did. I remember Shikamaru being sort of confused about the request, too, I remember him talking to me about it one night and saying he was afraid of what he was getting himself into…"

"Yeah, I guess it makes sense to ask me. It's practical and Naruto said he considered me a close friend… And the smartest person he knew. Heh, to think one day… One day I'd be… I guess I am scared of it. Of it."

"Do you… do you think…?"

Ino felt her heart slow down to an eerily quiet pace. "Shikamaru knew. He knew there was something going on between Sasuke and Naruto."

"Or that something had happened between them. Which is why he warned you," concluded Sakura, her voice edgy, crisp.

Ino took in a shuddering gulp of breath and placed her hand on her mouth. "He didn't want me getting between them. But… why… Why… What is-? What are Sasuke and Naruto…?"

"So you understand now."

Somehow, Ino managed to pull herself together and muster up enough of her wits that back on her feet she was again. "You say Sasuke never leaves his side? Okay, that's odd. We're going to investigate."

"We are?"

Sakura looked taken back. Ino thought the girl had still retained some of her naivety from years ago. Gently, she smiled. "We're friends, Sakura, and I'm not leaving you to do this on your own. Besides, Naruto is my friend, too, even if our bond isn't as strong. And he's the Hokage now, so whatever is happening with him concerns us all. And besides~!" Flirtatious, she fluttered her lashes, sensing a small onslaught of heat on her cheeks. "He's gotten very cute and I've been yearning for a moment of privacy with him, if you know what I mean…"

"Ino…" Sakura's brow twitched.

Ino giggled.

Sakura heaved out a sigh of relief and offered Ino a small smile in return. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Of course, you'd get swallowed up in their stupid affairs, which is why you need me. And also because I'm a wonderful friend and you can't imagine your life without me." She winked.

Sakura appeared to look insulted, but Ino could see the words had touched her. Inside, she felt warm and fuzzy, as if no sudden revelation had transpired.

"Thank you."

"Sakura…"

"Thank you, really."

Ino's smile widened. Once again, she blushed, this time for reasons entirely pure. "Shucks, it's alright. That's what I'm here for."

"Yes… Ah!"

"Ah?"

"I'm terrible! I just marched inside and started ranting and forgot to ask you how you were doing. Ah~, I'm such a selfish person," whined Sakura cutely – at least Ino thought so –, her eyes wide and visibly troubled by this shocking discovery.

"Nah, it's cool. You needed to talk about it. I'll talk to Shikamaru about it? Or I could tell him to meet us on the training grounds when he's got the time."

"Latter, but we can talk about that later. So." Sakura laughed, sheepish, blushing, embarrassed. "How are you doing?"

"Me?"

"Yes? Yes."

Ino leaned against the table, head propped by her hand, elbow dug into the flowers she'd previously discarded, a knowing smile on her face.

Then she placed a hand on her stomach and chirped in a happy, in reality completely ecstatic voice: "The both of us are doing fine, Sakura."

"Both…?"

Ino started counting; if this were Shikamaru, he'd get it immediately and that was, probably, his curse, but Sakura apparently needed a lot more time for the reality to sink in, even if she'd always been a bit of a nerd in their young days and had prided herself in being intelligent. Maybe she was growing old, though Ino would never say that out loud, being too happy to be alive and to have her-

"Baby. Oh my god, you are expecting a baby?"

Ino stared. "Louder, wouldn't you? I mean, some people on the other side of the frigging country didn't hear you so well."

Sakura clamped a hand over her mouth, looking dismal. "Oh, gods, sorry. I. This is… Such great news! Congratulations!"

Without further ado, she walked around the table and then Ino found herself embraced tightly by her friend of twenty years, a mass of pink hair in her face. "I'm so happy for you, Ino." And when the friend said this, what else was Ino to do but squeal happily and hug Sakura back just as firmly?

Squeal they both did, mindless of their surroundings, enjoying the moment when their heartbeats synchronized and resounded firmly in their ears.

What felt like hours later, Ino pulled away, blushing furiously, smiling broadly, her heart beating faster and louder than ever before.

Of course, Sakura had to somewhat ruin the moment. "Who's the father?"

"Not telling."

"Is it Shikamaru?"

Ino stared.

Sakura interpreted the silence the wrong way. "Oh my god, it's Shikamaru!"

"What? No! No, it's not."

"Is it Sai?"

Ino stared once more. "Sakura." She looked to her right. Sakura followed her gaze and outside, there were people waiting patiently, watching the exchange wordlessly, but obviously running out of patience.

"Oh… Right. I should get going. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Sure, I'll let you know once I've gotten in touch with Shikamaru."

"Alright."

A few parting words, then Sakura was out.

Ino sighed and welcomed the customer, a boy, who smiled widely at her.

Sakura stuck her head back inside the store, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as they landed on the boy. "Is it him?"

Ino snapped.

"No! And go!"

(~SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~)

Naruto looked down ahead.

In front of him, the whole village was laid out and from where he stood, it looked so small, puny, almost as if awaiting the moment someone grasped it in their hand and crushed all life inside it. Villagers the size of ants busied here and there and soon they'd all disappear inside their homes, for already the sun was setting down and the village was covered underneath a blanket of red, orange and yellow.

Behind him, Sasuke and Shikamaru stood.

"Kazekage is coming in a week, Hokage-sama."

"Oh, Gaara. Can't wait to see him," he retorted, a big smile on his face.

"All has been prepared already for his arrival. Should I inform the jounins of the changes? "

"Nah, there's still enough time. Besides, I don't think we should fear anything from the Sand."

"Not from the Sand, no, but there are vigilante groups roaming our lands, they could attack and-"

"I'm not afraid." There was no questioning the tone of his voice. Shikamaru sighed. Had it not been for his enhanced senses, Naruto would have overheard it.

Suddenly, Naruto turned to look at his advisor, his smile more radiant than the sun above.

"And don't call me Hokage-sama. How many times do I have to tell you that? "

Shikamaru had probably learned to conceal all surprise he felt whenever Naruto did something out of ordinary, for his face didn't show any emotion at all, nearly as impassive as Sasuke's. But Naruto knew better than that. The man shrugged, hoping to look unperturbed, even if there was a small smile tugging on his features. Naruto watched the struggle for a while, before Shikamaru finally caved in and offered him back that gentle and soothing smile he'd reserved only for their Hokage.

"Fine. Naruto, be careful. You might explicitly trust Gaara, but there are some who'd take advantage of that trust. "

"Telling you, not worried."

"Naruto... "

Naruto thought Shikamaru was getting ready to launch into an explanation about how his actions could inevitably lead to his imminent death, but then, for the first time since Shikamaru's arrival hours ago, Sasuke moved. He didn't start talking, didn't even look at the advisor, merely stepping forward by a few inches as if to remind them of his looming presence, but Shikamaru seemed to take it as a warning, for afterwards, he spoke no more. Or maybe an understanding, a silent agreement had passed between the two, one they'd not tell Naruto about even if he was rightfully their lord, master and someone to know it all.

Really, some friends he had.

"I should get going. Ino wants to meet me."

Naruto smiled at him lewdly. "Ohhh, Ino-chan? Shikamaru, you animal!"

Shikamaru had the dignity to look ashamed. "It's not like that, Naruto. Ino and Sakura want to talk to me about something."

Implications clear, and Naruto didn't react. "Eh? Any idea about what?"

"Yes, actually."

"Yeah?"

Shikamaru turned around. "What you told me." Slowly, he started walking away. Naruto watched his retreating back, not speaking at all, not even once Shikamaru had completely disappeared, not only much later, when the evening wind ruffled his hair, stroked his cheeks.

When Konoha looked red-laden and bloodied, Naruto turned to glance at it once more, his cloak and hair billowing, perfectly susceptible to the wind's play. This silence, this was golden.

Naruto's eyes closed, the red behind his eyelids blinding him momentarily. "We're alone." And the magic started its work.

Sasuke stepped over, the distance between them greatly diminished to almost nothing, their hands brushing here and there, the warmths of their bodies intertwined.

"He is right, some people aren't so fond of your peace."

"Not from Konoha, no?"

"No, no-one in Konoha would dare betray you." In his tone lay a warning and the unspoken "they better" lingered in the air.

Naruto opened his eyes. "Yeah."

"They are getting curious."

"Meh... That doesn't mean anything."

"Gaara might realize."

Naruto looked at Sasuke from the corner of his eyes. "Don't tell me you're getting nervous."

Sasuke stared back. "No." He paused. "Not after all this time."

"Shikamaru won't say a thing, and Sakura-chan and Ino-chan won't figure it out."

"They might need a Hyuuga."

"Nah... Hinata and Neji haven't figured out a thing... No-one in the class has, in fact. "

"For now."

Naruto groaned. "Jeez, Sasuke, you're being such a debbie downer."

"I don't appreciate what you just said."

"Oh-ho, was that Uchiha Sasuke joking? Oh! Is that Uchiha Sasuke smiling?"

"No."

Naruto got up close and personal, standing slightly bent over in front of Sasuke, his face a mere inch from Sasuke's, beaming mischievously, sparkling vividly and teasing with one look only. "You are. Tee-hee. Sasuke is smiling. Smiling~! And for who? Me~."

"Naruto... Stop it."

"What? No. Sasuke, stop being a debbie downer. Admit it, I make you smile." He pouted. Sasuke placed a hand on his chest, as if fixing to apply pressure soon and shove Naruto away, but when no such thing happened and Naruto's face remained just that one, pathetic inch from his, Naruto's smile disappeared. No more words spilled from his mouth as he stared into Sasuke's face.

Impassive, they called it even now. Standoffish his behavior. But with him, his Sasuke was different. His Sasuke was warm and tender, smiling like he did now, because everyone in the village reserved that something special for their Hokage-sama and Uchiha Sasuke was no exception.

His smile may have been almost insignificant, almost non-existent, on the verge of becoming extinct, already so endangered, but Naruto didn't care. Sasuke's hand slid upwards, trailing over the skin on his neck, to the golden tresses that still but at mercy of the wind floated here and there, completely ensnared by its whimsical wishes. It rested there, deeply buried in the hair, and force was applied only now to press Naruto's face closer.

Closer and closer.

Until their noses brushed, the foreheads touched.

Then his Sasuke closed his eyes and Naruto realized he'd done the same thing when Sasuke's hand had first touched him.

"You do. But only you."

Encompassed in that simple gesture were millions of others and pain so deep that Naruto felt himself lose all coherent speech.

The sun illuminated their figures. Reflected on the ground their shadows mirrored with unhindered precision all they did.

The silhouettes neared and then, not to be disturbed, melted together, connected.

(~SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~)

Shikamaru wouldn't say he was glaring daggers at Kakashi, but according to Sakura's previous discontented muttering, it appeared as such. He sighed and put his hands in his pockets, nonchalant.

"So what is he doing here again?"

"Oh, never mind me, I was just taking a walk and saw you standing here so quietly, so I decided to check on my favorite ex-students and see how you were doing," replied Kakashi happily, his only visible eye smiling in what Shikamaru assumed to be serenity and peace embodied. Really, the man hadn't changed at all since their first meeting, at least not blatantly so; he reckoned Sakura and Naruto would know more about any significant changes, yet whether the presumed would be revealed any time soon remained a mystery never to unravel, for Sakura and Ino exchanged a knowing look and proceeded with ignoring Kakashi's presence.

"Kakashi-sensei can stay, it concerns him too."

"Oh, does it? And what would you children be conspiring about? Ah..."

Only now did Shikamaru commit to an act known as glaring; at twenty-two they were still referred to as children. The chances were, always they'd be known as the rookie nine, even if many new generations of rookie nine and other numbers had arisen since their days in academy. Annoying, but... Mostly, it was just-

"Troublesome."

Kakashi smiled at him. Probably. With that mask, one could never tell what faces he was really making, but Sakura didn't question at all. Instead, she shot Shikamaru a grave look, her expression gaining on a heavily contrasted quality, as if the thoughts fighting for supremacy had reached the surface of her ever-so-youthful face, now reflecting clearly all that chaos residing inside.

"So why have you lot gathered here?"

"It's important, Kakashi-sensei."

"No doubt about that. Although you're missing other members of the rookie nine," he said, as if he'd read Shikamaru's thoughts of distaste regarding the nickname. Shikamaru sighed then. He really didn't want to this now.

"They... We might call them later. But for now, it's just the four of us. Well, three but... Alright. There's something Ino and I need to ask Shikamaru."

"Oh, wait. Sakura, let me guess? It concerns Naruto."

"Ka... Kakashi-sensei? How did you...?"

"And let me guess once more. It concerns Naruto and Sasuke."

Not even Ino managed to keep her cool; gaping like a fish, she only managed one meek "What...?", before shutting her mouth and seemingly opting for blissful silence. Perphaps, she was relying on someone else to answer all the questions for her. Perhaps.

"Kakashi-sensei, how did you know?" asked Sakura.

"Well, I have eyes, you know."

Ah... Okay. Shikamaru really, really didn't want to this. Not now, not tomorrow, not later, preferably not at all, but with the merry little group of three jounins staring him – with the intensity and emotion of their gazes ranging from the anxiety-laden looks of scorn from Sakura, and expectant curiosity almost like a child's from Ino, to a mask of dispassionate placidity exhibited as per usual by none other than Kakashi –, he apparently had no other choice but to address it swiftly now.

He sighed. Deeply, terribly, tiredly. Oh, what he'd do for a little session of cloud-gazing without the pesky presence of anyone else, but the cigarette stuck between his lips to keep him company. He could watch the smoke drift away from its flaring tip and float towards the sky, where joyfully, as he always imagined, it would join its brethren and be spirited away to a land of wispy clouds and ever-lasting peace.

"Shikamaru, what do you know?"

Ah, peace... Quiet. Actually, quiet would be much appreciated now.

"Oi, Shikamaru."

Right... In his dreams. Idly, he glanced at Ino. "What do you want to know?"

"Sasuke and Naruto. Tell us all you know."

"I don't know anything, you guys."

Ino and Sakura stared at him. Maybe he shouldn't have agreed to meet them past curfew, because the darkness of the forest looming closely was giving him the goosebumbs, and because girls tended to be rather violent, mostly when denied their... ah, rightful... rights.

"Ah-ha, you were always terrible at lying, Shikamaru. You know the truth."

"I can't tell you anything about them."

"So there is a them. I see, I see."

This time, everyone looked at Ino. Girls and their logic, who knew what terrible discovery her mind had just revealed to her, although... Never mind, he probably already knew.

"Ino, I don't think that's a..."

"No, no. Shikamaru. Tell me. Tell us." Ino stepped closer to him. Shikamaru considered just bolting – or walking away in a manly way, as Kiba would proudly announce, because there was only so much pressure from girls he could stand without getting awkward, and there was only so much of Ino's fantasies his mind could deal with.

"What?"

Ino took a deep breath, her face a healthy shade of red visible even underneath the darkness of the night shrouding her figure. Above them, the moon shone brightly, as if determined to portray with poetic precision each emotion to appear even briefly in their eyes. Shikamaru looked Ino in the eye, dubious about her intentions, but, somehow, curious at the same time.

"Naruto and Sasuke," she started slowly, her breathing a bit elevated, almost jumping from... Wait, was that-? Oh, no... Not that. "Did they elope?"

Silence.

Shikamaru's hand connected with his head in the gesture widely known and accepted as the face-palm.

"I think you're confusing the terms here; if they'd eloped, they would have physically left Konoha and-"

"Bah, details. Fine. Let's cut to the slack then," she bellowed, jovial. From the corner of his eyes, Shikamaru noticed that Kakashi had opted for staring pointedly in the other direction, and despite that he could swear there shone a gleam of unbidden interest in his eye.

Not you, too, Kakashi-sensei...

"Are they having s-"

"Ino!"

"-together. Um, are they together?"

Sakura was huffing, breathing heavily, and Ino staring, inspecting his face for any changes, ignoring Sakura's previous outburst.

Shikamaru couldn't help himself. Instead of replying, he reached inside his pocket and moments later, he was lighting a cigarette, careless of what reactions the action would beg.

"Shikamaru... I thought you'd quit." The tone, not accusatory at all! A sigh.

"For a while," he replied slowly, blowing the smoke in the air and taking a little relish in the nicotine gradually reaching his bloodstream. But then, before the brain had even the time to send signals to his body and inform it of the substance taking effect, a foreboding presence snapped it out of its reverie and then the body was automatically moving away, dodging the incoming attack from – where? –, the cigarette hanging loosely between his lips, the smoke being the only thing to remain on the spot where he'd been standing moments ago.

Startled, he started at Sakura. "What the...? What was that for?"

Sakura's vein was bulging, pulsating threateningly on her forehead. "You idiot! You can't smoke around Ino now, not in the state she is-"

"Sakura."

"... Ah, oh."

... Alright. This was, well-... "You're pregnant?" A rhetorical question by all means, as he already knew the answer. It explained why Ino had been acting so profane around him whenever he'd happened to light a cigarette, at least. Among other things.

It was Sakura who replied, but rather than stick to words, she decided to express her opinion using brute, unparalleled strength. This time, Shikamaru didn't even protest as she rounded on him, swiftly grabbing him by his clothes and pulling her face dangerously close to his.

"Shi-ka-ma-ru. How dare you act like this when Ino's bearing your child?"

"Wha-oh." Past his lips the residual smoke from his lungs had left, caressing with fake passion Sakura's face.

Non-smokers didn't appreciate getting smoke directly in their faces, and Shikamaru just sighed, almost resigned to his fate as this close up, he could see all the veins on Sakura's face twitch angrily. Behind her, a rather loving scene was unfolding between Kakashi and Ino.

"Ah, so you're pregnant. Congratulations," Kakashi was saying pleasantly.

"Thank-you," Ino was replying just-as-pleasantly.

"When's the child due?"

"Oh, a while. Seven months."

"I see, I see. Well, I'm happy for you."

"Thank-you, I'm happy, too."

Then they smiled at each other cutely, a picture moment no doubt, and if Shikamaru didn't already know who the father was, he'd be very inclined to think Kakashi himself had partaken in a particular activity with Ino. If only Sakura wasn't attempting to throttle him, all would be alright. Already, his skin was starting to turn a disgusting blueish hue, and the shaking wasn't doing him any good, either, for how was he think of the clouds above and enjoy his last cigarette when the world kept spinning around?

"Hm, I think Sakura is trying to kill Shikamaru."

"Right, right, on it! Oh, Sakura-chan? Shikamaru really isn't the father, so please stop before you really kill him," chirped Ino sweetly, looking extremely happy with herself for one reason or another, as Shikamaru absently noted, but then he had no time to think as at once Sakura released him and the sudden force of the action left him frozen mid-way to being shaken backwards for a split second, before all laws of physics conspired against him with success-

-sending him flying down on the ground.

"Sakura, you should really control your strength."

"What? Hmp!" she scoffed. "He's still alive, isn't he?"

"Yes..."

So even Kakashi-sensei can't control his own students, thought Shikamaru, bitter. But at least he was resting once more and the position he'd landed in offered him a most splendid view on the stars shining above, enough that for a brief moment he forgot gladly about his aching back or the rock digging into his thigh – or the fact the Hokage's advisor had been handled like a sack of potatoes by a girl and hadn't yet found the strength to move.

Really, that was so...

"So troublesome."

"But you deserve it, you know?"

Tired, Shikamaru moved his eyes on Ino who now stood above him with hands on her hips and a few golden strands of hair shielding the right side of her face. He reckoned she'd taken advantage of the incriminating situation he'd found himself in, and truly he could easily read the wickedness gleaming bright and clear in her eyes, suggesting something most devilish had occurred to her.

Oh, lord...

"So, Shikamaru. Are you going to tell us?"

"Tell you what?"

"Don't play dumb," she tutted, waving a pointy finger warningly from side to side. "It doesn't suit you and, 'sides, you know very well what I'm talking about. So, here's the situation; you either spill the beans or I accidentally burst into tears and tell Sakura you really are the daddy."

... Oh. Lord.

"Ino." A frown creased his features. "You can't be serious."

She grinned. "Oh, Sakura~!"

"Fine. Ugh." Though he closed his eyes next, not wishing to see the victory in hers, he was certain her grin had widened to make up most of her face.

With a certain amount of difficulty, he moved to stand up and Ino happily bounced over to the other two where she joined them in curious staring and bewildered... staring. Alright, Kakashi did neither, but somehow he looked so right with both girls by either side, like it was his fate or like Shikamaru had hit his head too hard, for only that could excuse the strange direction his thoughts had taken.

"Ah, that reminds me... Kakashi-sensei, how did you know?" asked Sakura.

Ino snorted. "Better yet, how long has he known?"

Kakashi couldn't have looked more bored. "I have eyes."

"That doesn't explain anything..."

"Not in the sense you think," he added as an afterthought. "But we're not here to listen to my explanations. Let's leave that for later and assume until then that I have my reasons for being suspicious of the current situation."

Sakura seemed to mutter something under her breath that sounded a lot like "stupid Kakashi-sensei", but Shikamaru liked to think her thoughts wouldn't stoop to that level. Tired of the situation already and thinking he'd rather get this over with, he coughed and three pairs of eyes landed on his figure.

"So." Lazily, he flicked the ash off his cigarette and placed it between his lips. The smoke drifted into the air, curling around his face in thick tendrils. Maybe, there was just something about the gesture, because, suddenly, no-one was protesting any longer, complaining about him taking his sweet time or speaking at all. In fact, all had gone dead silent and Shikamaru exhaled, the smoke leaving his lips in wispy clouds, and continued.

"What do you want to know?"

(~SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~)

"Here. See? We get him here. He's meeting the other Kage. No problem."

The other nodded, then frowned. "The Sharingan will be there too."

"I wouldn't be too worried about him. Many people don't trust him yet and he won't be allowed to attend the meeting between Kages."

"And you're so sure of that because?"

It could have been past midnight. All was covered in darkness, all still and asleep for the time being, but despite that, when he smiled, their surroundings seemed to shift to accommodate the situation, to emphasize the sheer, unadulterated wickedness of his smile, the wanton lust in his eyes.

"His cute little crush on the Kage will make sure that. He won't be bothered by him or anyone else when they're meeting. And when they are alone, we strike." His hand balled into a fist.

The fingers, the nails, dug deeply into the flesh; blood cascaded down his skin. Dripped down onto the grass below.

"Then we kill him."

"And then we crush them."

(~SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~ SoleisSoul~)

Disclaimed: I don't own Naruto, but the story idea is mine alone.

Rating: PG-13 for themes, blood, swearwords (most of which have yet to make an appearance).

Summary: At twenty two, Naruto has achieved all; a Hokage at last, a man respected and loved, he rules his nation with compassion and understanding, bringing together lost families and friends, and disposing of those that dare oppose his peace. And Sasuke ever-so-faithfully stands by his side, an unchanging status for almost six years, and after these six years, people, villagers, their teachers and friends finally start to ask: "What is happening between Naruto and Sasuke?"

Setting: Six years after the Fourth Ninja War, so all ages have been changed accordingly. Naruto is the Hokage, but how exactly he achieved the status will be revealed step-by-step, along with many other details related to the "rookie nine" and all other characters.

Warning: There will be no OCs, only, perhaps, some OOCness which I'm partial to as anyone else, so that's excusable. Don't go around calling this yaoi, as Sole isn't yaoi… In fact, it's something akin to shounen-ai but not exactly… Okay, in all honesty, I myself don't know yet. The purpose of this story is not to indulge anyone's perverse fantasies involving Sasuke and Naruto, but to elaborate further, perhaps, on the complex relationship-friendship they share as demonstrated in both manga and anime. With that said, I love the pairing, but I'm not promising anything.

Story will contain basic Japanese honorifics, but I'm hoping to avoid any Engrish or anything remotely deformed. So there will be no exclamations of "kawai" or "kakkoi", not even "hai". Should such a thing happen, however, I'll have a translation note added in the A/N.

A/N: Story should pick up after a while : ) I have most of it planned out already. I have to say, all these conversations are very important for the actual plot and I consider them dynamic, significant for story development, so bear with me.

In next chapter, you find out what Shikamaru told them, what Kakashi really knows and why he was there, what Hinata thinks of the situation, what Gaara and Naruto have to talk about and who has their eyes set on harming the Kage. All to figure out why Naruto and Sasuke are each other's most precious person and unravel their secret.

Thank you for reading, please R&R!