Shikamaru didn't open the old book that night, being somewhat tired, but he spent as much of the next morning as his mother would allow lying with his feet up on the sofa reading it. The so-called Principle of Shadow Manipulation turned out to be an odd mixture of complex technical information and very practical notes which were sometimes just scribbled in the margins. Some of them read things like "grow hair long – range extend" and there was one long list of jutsu with nothing to explain them. Most were katon-type, though, so the young genius could guess their use in shadow techniques.

Shikamaru spent the morning reading through the notes, correctly guessing the theories on kage-jutsu and their properties would take concentration to understand. Some of the notes gave him food for thought – in particular, one entire page that discussed the advantages of wearing a scarf. According to the book, clothing you wore enough to imprint with your personality cast a shadow that could be utilised in the same way your own shadow could be, even from a distance. If you learn a delicate air-shifting jutsu (he wondered if the person who created this watched clouds...) you could throw your item of clothing and move it as a precise vector for the bind. Even if you didn't learn the breeze manipulation, flicking it out towards them could give you at least a square metre more shadow with full bind properties. Shikamaru made a mental note to Chouji where he'd got his scarf from.

This day and the next passed quickly, with most of his attention on the book. The genin realised many of the notes required the user to learn new jutsu (he was on his way to a reform in training, but he wasn't going to go that far!), and later in the book most of them referred to shadow-movement skills he didn't yet have. So he began to learn the intricacies of the workings of the Shadow Bind. His interaction with the outside world was minimal, and his visits to Chouji mostly consisted of him talking about complex chakra-usage theories and his rotund friend nodding and eating.

Two days after Shikamaru's confrontation with his mother, Nara Rumiko arrived. She was later than expected, and complaining about hotel reservations and lying owners. He could hear her every word from the living-room, and he reluctantly hunted down a bookmark and rolled off the sofa to say hello.

Rumiko was taller than Shikamaru remembered, but still lanky in build. Her hair was now in thousands of tiny dark braids with garishly brightly coloured beads on the ends. She wore a wife-beater vest and moss-green shorts, and had a hideous orange backpack that Naruto would have adored slung over one shoulder. As he moved into her line of sight she jumped forward to hug him with a wide grin on her face. Her braids felt strange against his skin.

The family moved back into the living room, and although he should have joined in the conversation, he couldn't help but pick his book back up. She produced random gifts, chattered about her travels, and generally disturbed the quiet of the house. He found himself wishing she'd stayed in the hotel, if she was going to just make so much noise. Guests were troublesome.

But he felt a little guilty for his resentment of her when she produced a present. From its carefully folded paper bag, he drew out a bronze deer pendant on a leather thong. It was a thoughtful gift, and he noticed it matched the necklace she was wearing.

So he made an effort to communicate, relating his fight with Naruto in detail, and the elimination of his genin team. Talking, he lost his impatience to get back to his book, and hardly noticed as his mother left to cook dinner. His sister grinned, flicking her braids so the beads clacked against each other, and as soon as Yoshino left the room she said with amusement:

"So basically you guys suck, then."

"Che, because you'd have done so much better."

"Naturally" She drew out the word, mocking.

He snorted in disbelief, and she swung her now only partly full backpack at his head. He rolled over his shoulder backwards and crouched to catch any further swings. She rolled her eyes and set the monstrosity down, keeping one arm tucked through the a shoulder-strap. Shikamaru gave the glaringly orange object a sceptical look and returned his sister's mockery.

"Rumiko" he drawled "Ino claims I have the fashion sense of a rock, but even I can tell that's an aberration!"

"It's so the tour groups don't lose me." She sniffed, defensive "I didn't want to carry a stick around, and it's impractical to wave stuff over your head in a rainforest."

Shikamaru smirked at his sister – though she had strange tastes, and admittedly wasn't the most fashion-conscious female in the world, she couldn't have been happy with being told to wear that.

She stuck her nose in the air, attempting hauteur. And brother-sister relations moved back into the familiar ground...

The pair of them had a serious talk the next day, having been sent to feed the deer together.

"Shikamaru."

He looked up. She'd stopped, leaning on the fence, looking across at the field. He moved to beside her, resting his elbows on the fence and following her gaze.

"I need to tell mummy and dad something." She took a deep breath, face set.

"Well that's bizzare" Shikamaru ignored her seriousness. "I made my own confession just few days ago..."

She looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"You, what? Aren't you a bit young to..." She trailed off, and he couldn't guess what she had been saying. He decided to move on.

"So what do you want to tell them?" Shikamaru's voice was gentle.

"Shika-kun... I've got a girlfriend."

He blinked. About a minute passed with him staring in complete surprise and her looking out across the field, tension visible in how she was holding herself. Shikamaru, being twelve and familiar with the concept of that kind of relationship through females' behaviour towards Sasuke; and with sex through Kiba's comments and Iruka's embarrassed lectures, was not at all sure what to make of this. Finally he spoke.

"Oh, okay."

And she burst out laughing, relief and shock making the moment hilarious.

It was some time later and they were heading back towards the house, tasks done, when the conversation started up again. She told Shikamaru about the daughter of a feudal lord, who had accompanied her father in the trip to Konoha and tried to run away, only to be caught up with by Rumiko. She'd spent a long evening discussing life with the noble-born tom-boy, who had returned to the tour after securing Rumiko's promise to help her stay in Konoha when they arrived. He still didn't really understand what made her a girlfriend and not just a friend, but he knew just enough not to want to ask.

"So what was your confession?" She asked "You're not gay, are you?"

"GUH?!... No."

Silence for a long moment. He spoke awkwardly, still not easily able to bring this subject up.

"I told them I knew about the damn fox."

Silence for a moment

"Oh, okay then."

"I'll tell you the long version of events later, okay?"

"Sure."

Eating breakfast in amiable silence with her, he decided he was glad she'd come home after all.
So, this chapter heralds the return of Shikamaru's sister – she was in chapters 3 and 4. She'll be in this chapter and the next, and then she'll vanish again for the foreseeable future. The original reasoning behind her newly revealed sexuality is this: THERE ARE TOO MANY GAY GUYS IN FANFIC, SO: GAY GIRL, NOW. If you have a problem with this, don't worry, because there will be no actual lesbianism, just occasional conversations about it.