A creek was heard as a three year old boy, with dark hair in a high ponytail, opened the door to his parents room.
He made his way to the bed, pulling himself up and over to crawl in between them.
"Mmmmm…" A blond kunoichi rolled over to see her soon, Shikaku, laying comfortably in between herself and her husband, Shikamaru.
She smiled groggily.
"Morning mommy." He said with a yawn.
Temari patted his head.
Shikamaru stirred and turned over onto his stomach, still sleeping soundly.
Temari grinned. "Hey Shikaku…come here baby." She pulled the little boy to her and whispered in his ear, a plan to wake up her lazy husband.
Shikaku laughed and nodded.
They both looked at the sleeping form beside them and grinned, they both tackled him and started to tickle him, showing no mercy.
"Gahh!!!"
THUMP
They all fell off of the bed, a tangle of limbs, two of them laughing the other trying not to laugh.
"Gah! Hahaha…g-get off! Hahah!"
Temari finally called off the assault on Shikamaru and had Shikaku go and wake his sister.
After he left Temari started to pull up her hair, her husband sending her a murderous glare. She glanced over nonchalantly. "What?"
"I'm sooo getting you back for that."
Temari smirked. "Oh really?"
Shikamaru tackled her to the ground, pinning her arms over her head. "Really." He leaned down for a kiss when the door to their room opened again.
"Ew!" Yoshino shrieked and ran back out of the room.
The couple pulled apart and looked to the door.
"Looks like we better get going."
"Yeah…you get going…I'm gonna sleep." Shikamaru said with a yawn, his eyelids already drooping. Temari shook her head and tugged him up by the ear. "Oh no you don't, Shikamaru-sensei." She said the last part with just a bit of sarcasm. "You have to get to work."
He groaned.
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"Yoshino settle down!" Temari said trying to keep her daughter still as she brushed her hair.
"I can't help it! It's my first day at the academy, I'm excited!"
Temari rolled her eyes. "I understand that, but you need to sit still."
"Ah mom.." She said crossing her arms over her chest.
"There…done." Temari pulled back the brush. "Be free."
Yoshino grinned and ran out the door. "Bye! Love you! See you later!" She called, the door slamming behind her.
Temari sighed and stood up, just as Shikamaru was FINALLY making his way to the door.
She glanced over at him. "You're going to be late."
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."
Temari sighed once more and kissed his cheek. "Where's Shikaku? He was going to say goodbye."
Shikamaru smiled. "He fell asleep at the breakfast table."
"Gahhh!!!!"
Shikamaru laughed and kissed her lips gently. "That's my boy." He said and headed out the door.
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Yoshino Karura looked up at the Konohagakure academy and gulped. "Wow…" She murmured. She glanced around for kids she knew.
Immediately her eyes landed on Asuma Yuhi, he was twelve now and in the last year at the academy. He was looking more like his father every day, but he had his mothers bright eyes.
"Asuma!" Yoshino shouted, rushing across the yard over to him.
"Hey Asuma…who is that?" A kid standing with him had said.
"Yeah who's the twerp?" Another asked.
Asuma looked over his shoulder, seeing Yoshino racing towards him. "Uh…I dunno." He lied.
Yoshino skidded to a stop. "Hey Asuma! How's it going?"
"Asuma who is this brat?"
"I don't know." Asuma muttered.
"You do to!" Yoshino shouted at Asuma, she then turned and glared at the boy who had called her a brat. "Don't you call me a brat, jerk. I'm Yoshino Karura Nara! The daughter of Sabaku no Temari and Nara Shikamaru." She huffed. "Thank you very much!"
Asuma clapped a hand to his forehead.
"And Asuma here is my friend….well WAS my friend."
Asuma made to say something but the bell rang, signaling first class.
"Hey see you in class Asuma…see ya brat!" The two said heading into the school, leaving Asuma and Yoshino alone in the courtyard.
Yoshino had her hands on her hips, a glare on her face.
Asuma sighed. "Look Yoshino…I…"
"Save it. I get it I'm an embarrassment, I'll leave you alone." She turned on her heel and made for the front doors.
Asuma caught her arm. "Come on Yoshi…." He whined. "It's not like that…."
"Yes it is…now let go so I can get to class…you too my dad won't be happy with you if you get there late."
She jerked her arm away and headed into the academy.
He watched her for a moment before following her inside.
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The rest of the year had gone by much smoother than that first day. Asuma, with a little nudge from Shikamaru, had patched things up with Yoshino. They ate lunch together, and even practiced jutsu's together outside of school.
Shikamaru was watching from the window as Asuma helped Yoshino with her kunai throwing technique, he frowned slightly as Asuma was getting just a little too close in his mind, to his daughter.
Temari came up behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist. "They're cute together…" She muttered into his ear.
Shikamaru sighed. "She's only eight…" He stated with a pout. "Beside's isn't he supposed to be dating Chiyo? Our niece?"
Temari rolled her eyes. "Even though our long distance relationship worked, you know it isn't going to with them. I was only Gaara's sister, Chiyo is his daughter!" She rested her chin on his shoulder. "Our little girl has had Asuma, and you, wrapped around her finger since the day she was born."
Shikamaru turned to face his wife.
For the first time in a long while he realized just how much things had grown between them. They had fought against each other in the chuunin exams, she had come to his rescue against Tayuya, he had come her rescue in return. Sarutobi Asuma's death had brought their first kiss, when he came home after defeating Hidan it was the first time they had had sex. From that came their marriage, then the birth of Yoshino, and then Shikaku.
"We've been through a lot….hu?" He said mostly to himself.
"Yup….and you're still just as lazy and unmotivated as the day I met you." Temari said with a smirk.
Shikamaru half-smiled. "And you're still just as bossy, loud, and troublesome."
He kissed her gently, one arm wrapping around her waist, his other hand tangling in her hair. He slid his tongue across her lips and she parted her lips willingly.
A chorus of ewwwww's met there ears as two academy students and one three year old caught the two shinobi in a lip lock.
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Graduation day came and Yoshino paced anxiously at the entrance to the academy, waiting for a certain Asuma to either exit with a headband or exit without one.
If he didn't have one she'd kill him.
The door opened and she stopped her pacing. She turned her head and her eyes landed on her 'surrogate' brother…..with a brand new leaf headband on!
"You did it! I knew you would!" She said bounding over to him and throwing her arms around him.
"Yeah suuuure you did." He teased.
Yoshino smacked his arm. "Did so." She said and stuck her tongue out at him.
Asuma laughed and hugged her gently.
"I bet you can't wait to tell Chiyo!"
Asuma sighed. "Yoshi, you know her and I broke up."
"I know, but you're still friends, so why not?"
Asuma rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's go get some ramen, my treat."
"Ahem."
The two looked up at the person who had interrupted them. Of course it would be Shikamaru.
"Where….do you think you two are going?" He asked raising an eyebrow.
"To get some ramen! Asuma's taking me. Please daddy….please." Yoshino begged, making her teal eyes (like her mother) widen with a pleading look.
Shikamaru sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Fine…."
"Thank you!" Yoshino removed herself from Asuma's embrace and ran over to her dad, hugging him tight around the middle before leaving with her friend.
Shikamaru shook his head. "Troublesome…" he muttered.
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Shikamaru, Temari, Shikaku and Yoshino sat in the living room of Temari and Shikamaru's home. Their children, Shotaru and little Shikaku played on the floor with their toys as the adults conversed.
"I don't like it." Shikamaru grumbled.
"Oh relax, it's not a date." Temari said rolling her eyes.
Yoshino grinned. "She's tough, like Temari and I. She'll set him in his place if he does something wrong."
Shikaku laughed. "I have to agree with them on that, Shikamaru."
The younger Nara huffed and pouted.
Temari shook her head and patted him on the shoulder. "Hey I think that's them now." She said hearing footsteps coming up to the front door.
Yoshino and Shikaku jumped up, making their way to the window to get a better view. Shikamaru and Temari gave each other a look and sighed. "Honestly you two are ridiculous." Shikamaru said…..that is before he and Temari made their way to the peep hole on the door.
They couldn't hear anything but they saw Yoshino and Asuma laughing, and then the next thing they saw was Asuma give Yoshino a chaste kiss on the lips. Temari had to hold Shikamaru's arms back to keep him from shadow binding the poor boy.
And then Asuma darted off, leaving Yoshino blushing and stunned on the porch.
"Haha! Pay up Shikaku!" The elder Yoshino said grinning to her husband.
Shikaku huffed and crossed his arms.
Temari turned a tensed Shikamaru's chin so that he was looking at her. "Hey come on, don't worry about it." She kissed his cheek softly. "She's MY daughter after all…..she can take care of herself…trust her."
"Her I trust it's him I don't."
Temari rolled her eyes. "You raised him too, Shikamaru. It's just the overprotective father in you talking."
Shikamaru sighed and leaned his forehead on her shoulder. "I guess you're right."
Temari laughed. "Well duh!" Then she leaned down and whispered. "For better or for worse…..in sickness and in health…..rich or poor…."
She grinned. "I'm always right."
"How troublesome."
NEXT CHAPTER IS GONNA BE SAD, JUST A HEAD'S UP. BUT IT WILL BE GOOD DON'T WORRY :)