Okay, I had planned on waiting until tomorrow to upload this chapter but since my story has reached 50 Reviews today, I decided to upload a little early as a thanks to you guys. Thanks So Much You Guys And Please Enjoy! ~HornyWolf

His footsteps echoed as they stepped into the home of the head of the Nara clan. His face was as solid as a stone even when he was greeted by Shikaku's wife Yoshino. She lead him down the hall, sliding open the door to reveal a courtyard that Inoichi had seen many times in his day. Yoshino left him in front of another sliding door. He entered at his usual pace to find his old friend and his son playing a peaceful game of shogi.

"Ah, about time you showed up Inoichi. I was wondering how long it would take for you to come by so I could defeat you in a friendly game of shogi." The elder Nara muttered as he threw a lazy glance over to his old comrade.

"Shikaku, might I have a word with you, alone?"

The younger Nara, taking the hint, stood up and left without a word. For once he didn't mind being interrupted in a game of shogi, after all, his dad was about to defeat him for the second time in a row. It was bad enough to lose to his old man but twice, that was just plain wrong.

Cocking his eyebrow Shikaku addressed his old friend "Even for you that's an overly serious demeanor. So...what's happened?"

Shikamaru, after being asked to leave, had taken up refuge in his room on top of his bed. With his hands resting peacefully behind his head, his eyes fluttered closed and a large yawn escaped him. 'Nothing like an afternoon cat-nap.' He mused as sleep slowly surrounded him.

"Shikamaru."

The young Nara blinked as he returned to the real world. "Hmm?"

"Come here. Inoichi and I need to have a chat with you." His father's voice was solemn and grave as it echoed from behind the door.

Yawning once more the young Nara rolled out of bed. 'What could they want to talk about now?'

Upon returning to the shogi room he took a seat across his father and Inoichi. Both of them gave him very somber stare as he sat down. Whatever they wanted, it couldn't be too good.

"So what is it you want to discuss?" He questioned with a jaded look and tone of voice, although his thoughts were running wild.

'Shit! Has Inoichi found out about Ino's pregnancy yet? Has he come to question me about how long I've known or where I was when this happened? Damn it! I was supposed to be watching over Ino, Choji and I both were. Shit! I don't want to see the look on his face when I tell him that I wasn't watching over her and let her body get taken which led her to doing it with rouge. Shit!'

Shikaku was the first to speak. "Shikamaru….as heir to the head of the Nara clan…it is always a duty to produce a new heir but….son, I would have preferred it if you'd waited till I was at least retired."

Shikamaru stared at his father dumbfounded as his jaw fell at a slight angle. "Huh?"

"Don't play dumb with me Shikamaru. I already know what you and Ino did, though…I'm a bit ashamed to say I thought you'd have the gut to be a man and tell me yourself instead of hiding it like a child."

Again Shikamaru was speechless. What in the hell could his father be talking about? He didn't really think that he did that to Ino….or did he?

After shifting his weight from where he now sat, Inoichi spoke. "Shikaku….I have never known your boy to be so callow…..even when he was just a boy." Shikamaru's brown eyes squinted. It was one thing to insult him in general but to attack his dignity as a man this was unacceptable. "What are you talking about?" He asked pointblank with his voice just a serious as his father's. "Don't pretend you don't know boy, you know full and well what you did…..Honestly….Your about to be a father and yet you still refuse to man up to your responsibilities, how shameful." Inoichi's words came out cold and harsh as he stared the young man in his eyes. All the while all his father could do was to shake his head in disappointment. 'Father? What in the? Did I hear him correctly? Father?' Shikamaru just sat there baffled, his normally narrow eyes now wide. "What…..did you….just say?" Inoichi and Shikaku merely looked at him, both, despite their previous thoughts, could see that this was news to him. "Ah…Shikamaru…?" His father asked as his completely bewildered son. "J-just how did you find this out?" Shikamaru questioned Inoichi, knowing that this had to be a case of misinformation. Inoichi cleared his throat before he began to explain how he came upon this devastating news about his only daughter. "Thus," The blonde concluded "If what my daughter told Sakura is true, which there is no doubt in my mind is not, then you are the one who impregnated my daughter." Sitting still, all Shikamaru could do was think. Think of what Inoichi was planning to do to him, think of why Ino could have possibly told Sakura this, and think of how he was going to deal with this-this mess!

'Ino had to have had a valid reason for telling this lie to Sakura….maybe she was embarrassed to tell Sakura that she had been with a rouge….Sakura is her rival after all….maybe she thought she might see it as a weakness or something….or maybe she was afraid of Sakura thinking of her as a whore…she probably didn't want to break their newly founded friendship….both are likely causes…but still….why would she say I was the father? I mean, me of all people, why did I have to be the victim?' His eyes glanced over at Inoichi who was staring at Shikaku. The two appeared to be having a conversation through shuttle gestures and eye contact. 'Even so…she must have had a reason for saying that I was the father….unless…unless she was being pressured into an answer…yeah….if Sakura was pressuring her into telling who the father was then…..it makes since that she would say me out of panic….after all…Ino never was good under pressure…..she could only hold up for so long…hmm…this supports the most likely causes as to why Ino would hide the truth from Sakura but…' He glanced back up at his father and Inoichi who appeared to be done with their speechless conversation and were now eying him. 'But either way…it doesn't change the fact that I'm in the dog house for it.'

Shikaku spoke this time, after coming to a mutual agreement with Inoichi. "Shikamaru…you didn't know of this…did you son?" Shikamaru grew a confused and partially hurt look on his face as he looked at the floor below him. "No….Ino…..Ino never said a word." He did his best to act the part, but to be perfectly honest; he wasn't much of an actor. Yet he knew if he wanted to get to the bottom of this he would have to go straight to the horse's mouth, but first he'd have to get out of the dragon's den, even if it meant getting into more troublesome matters than he would ever imagine even in a bad dream.

After letting a few moments pass by he lifted his head, while still keeping a docile posture, and asked his father and, Kami forbid it, father-in-law, if he could go talk to Ino. The duo looked at each other for a few moments before coming to an agreement. "Go on." Inoichi said facing the floor as he drifted off into his thoughts.

With Shikamaru taking his submissive leave Shikaku turned to face his old comrade. "Well well," He said in a halfhearted tone "It looks like we're going to be In-laws…..what do ya think of that?"

"I think," Inoichi muttered "That it reminds of a joke you and Chōza made when I you two found out that I was having a little girl…..let's see…how did it go again? Hmm….oh yeah…I remember now…'Don't worry Inoichi,' you said 'You can always have your little girl marry into one of our clans. Aren't we like brothers anyway?' Then Chōza said 'Yeah, having your daughter marry one of our boys would be only natural after all. It would really make us more like brothers!'…Although both of you were quite hammered at the time and didn't realize that your words only made half the amount of sense you intended them to be." Inoichi sighed, rubbing his temples.

Shikaku gave a low laugh. "Life's funny isn't it? If only we'd known then what we knew now." His comrade nodded his head in agreement.

"Well….If you'll excuse me Inoichi…I have to go inform Yoshino that she's going to be a grandmother and let her get her anger out before she knocks Shikamaru into a coma when he gets back."

"Yes…I too have someplace to be." Inoichi looked at the clock. He was already at least thirty minutes late for his dinner with Ino. After saying good-bye to his old friend he left wondering if he would be able to look his daughter in the face again and still see the sweet, innocent, somewhat bossy little girl he normally saw.

Yet…in the course of being lost in his thoughts, he had forgotten something altogether…that being that he had just sent Shikamaru out on a hunt to find and talk to Ino. But I digress; guess that will just have to wait, seeing as Inoichi was still oblivious to this fact because for now, he had more important matters to see too.

Review Please! ~HornyWolf