I obviously don't own Naruto! Forgive me sometes I forget about putting a disclaimer up here

Chapter 21

A loud banging at the door woke him up from his nap, he was home alone, his father was at work, and his mother had gone food shopping, so no one else was there to open the door and let the npisy intruder in. He was slightly disoriented and realized he had fallen asleep on the couch, the reason why he could hear the noise from outside so clearly. He sighed and glared at the clock, it was only three pm who would bother him at that ungodly hour of the afternoon? It was the best time for his daily rest.

Finally realizing that the bang instead of slowing down became even louder and more insistent, sighing loudly finally Shikamaru dragged himself to the door, and when he opened he was welcomed by a blonde blur that stomped into his house at the yell of "I'm an idiot"

The young Nara simply battled his eyelashes, trying to get over the trauma of his rough awakening.

"I don't think I understood what you so delicately said, Naruko" he yawned, closing the door behind him and joined the girl in his living room.

The girl simply fell back on his couch slumping down in it, pouting.

She felt comfortable at the Nara's house, it was like her second home.

"I'm an idiot! The biggest idiot of Konoha, no, not Konoha, the whole freaking Five nations, no... that is not enou-" she started to ramble, and he had already understood that something was not right from the moment she had stepped inside.

"Ok, I got the message" Shikamaru stopped her, because he knew she would find the way of going on forever.

"Women are such a drag...so, what happened?" he asked as he sat on the carpet, his head leaning back on the sofa, to look at the sulking blonde.

"Well...you know...that Uhmmm how do I say this?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at her. She had always told him everything, and she knew he wouldn't judge her. But there was one topic they had never dealt with, because neither of them had had any experience to share, except Naruko's infamous crush for Kakashi.

"Let me guess, it has something to do with Itachi"

By the way her breath hitched and her cheeks flushed red immediately he knew he was right, not that he had any doubts, he wasn't called a genius for nothing.

"How...how did you know?"

The brown haired teen, sighed and shook his head at her genuine innocence.

"Come on 'Ruko, anyone that truly knows you could tell you are head over heels for the guy"

Well, she shouldn't really be surprised, everyone always told her she was like an open book, mostly because she couldn't keep secrets on her own, so really she should have expected this.

"Oh"

"Yeah... I saw you two at the party, it was pretty obvious for me that there was something going on"

"Oh..."

Shikamaru grinned, anyone that saw then together could see it, it's not like Itachi was trying to be subtle or anything. "Anyway, what did you do that set you on a panic?"

"Why does it have to be something I did!" she huffed, crossing her arms on her chest with a pout, her orange shirt almost looking pale compared to her flushed skin.

"Do you really need to ask that?"

"I...ugh...I told Itachi I love him... through the phone" she hid her face with her hands, and the Nara really had to hold back to keep himself from laughing. This was just so typical of her, always having trouble keeping her feelings and thoughts for herself.

"That's it? I thought you had really done some stupid shit, but this is nothing really out of the ordinary for you"

"Because I go around telling people I love them everyday" she muttered, throwing a pillow at him, that he dodged right at the last second.

"I meant that you always say the first thing that comes to your mind, you don't have filters, you are open with your emotions and your thoughts"

Naruko thought about that for a second, but it still didn't make her feel better.

"How does that make it any better? Itachi will still think I'm an idiot"

"What are you more worried about, him thinking you're an impulsive idiot? Which I am sure he already is aware of , or him not feeling the same way? Because you do love him... it wouldn't have slipped like that if you wouldn't mean it, and you're afraid he will break your heart"

Naruko listened carefully, and didn't bat an eyelash as she did, because she knew Shikamaru had gone straight to the point. She had exposed herself and her feelings too early, in their not yet defined relationship, he hadn't even asked her to be his girlfriend! She was such an idiot, Menma was right when he told her she couldn't keep a secret if it was to save her life.

"He didn't even ask me to be his girlfriend! Of course I'm afraid I will get my heart broken! It's impossible to fall on love with someone so easily and in such a short period of time...but...I...know what I feel..."

She hid her face with the pillow this time, not wanting her best friend to see her like that, on the verge of tears. She regretted when she didn't have to worry about stupid feelings, since she had met Itachi her life had completely changed.

"Relax Naruko and listen to me" She felt Shikamaru's hands on her arms, shaking her out of her self induced depression.

"Itachi is what...five years older than us? He is a a college graduate, and has other ways of showing what he feels and what he wants out of a relationship I am sure he let's his actions speak for him more than words, he might not have said it clearly, but he might already consider you his girlfriend. The key to every relationship is communication, talk about it next time you see him."

"I don't know if I can face him" she admitted sniffing on Shikamaru's shoulder, and the Nara shook his head, stroking her blonde hair.

"You're no coward, you will manage, you love him don't you? Then just tell him the truth, there is no right moment to fall in love with someone, it just happens. Don't let your own feelings stop you...I did and I lost someone I loved"

Naruko eye's widened like saucers and she deranged herself from his embrace to look at him in the eyes.

"What do you mean? Shika you had someone and you didn't tell me?" she couldn't hide she was a little hurt, she never hid anything from him but it seemed he did. Then again, she couldn't get mad at him, not when he was looking so...broken. She had focused on her stupid problem, that really wasn't such a big deal, forgetting that she had gone there to see him because he had looked a little off at the party, and she had meant to find out why and comfort him in case he had needed it, but, here he was, comforting her, being the best friend she could have ever asked for.

"Shika...why didn't you tell me? Who was it? I am going to go and kick her ass for hurting you!"

She shot up her fists in the air, and Shikamaru rolled his eyes at her.

"This is why I didn't tell you, you would have gone and made a scene at the party, I wanted to avoid that"

"Wait, she was at the party? How did I miss this! Do I know her?" Naruko had got back to her own hyper self, apparently he had succeeded in comforting her.

The Nara sighed rubbing his hands on his face, he knew there was no way of escaping now.

"Well...you know Gaara..."

"Wait...it's Gaara?" she interrupted, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise, her arms falling along her body, as she looked at him with an incredulous glare.

"It's ok...I mean, I didn't know you, amongst all our friends would have such preferences I mean, I would have expected Shino or I don't know even Sai, to be the ones to come out, this...is unexpected, and Gaara-"

"It's not Gaara! You didn't let me finish!" his cheeks weee a little red out of embarrassment, he wasn't really keen on opening up, and it didn't help her interrupting him every two seconds.

"It's Kankurou?"

"Naruko!"

"Sorry! I will shut up now"" Geez

"Geez, you're so troublesome such times...anyways...it's Temari...we met a couple of months ago, while I was in Suna with my parents, I didn't know she was Gaara's sister, I found out when you brought her here with him last week"

Naruko scratched her head with her fingers as she thought about the blonde girl and her best friend.

" But…you acted like you didn't know her!" and they had fooled everyone, even her.

"I had to, she didn't want her brother's to find out, although I think they suspect something anyway"

Naruko blinked a few times, still a little shook from his confession.

"We started seeing each other while I was in Suna, and then she would come here to Konoha with the excuse of visiting Konoha's college, you know she is two years older than us, so she could move around more freely than I did"

Naruko nodded, she knew Temari was older, and she knew she was set to start college this year.

"Wait, why did you two split up?"

Shikamaru sighed and put his arms behind his head, elbows in the air, and relaxed against the couch.

"She said she didn't want a long distance relationship, that it was better we ended it before one of us got hurt, too bad I already was in too deep. When I saw her at the parry flirting with all those guys….I realized I wasn't over her."

Naruko smiled softly and threw herself at her friend enveloping him in a bear hug for comfort. It was rare seeing her best friend like that. The other only occasion had been when one of their teachers, Asuma Sarutobi, the one that was closer to Shikamaru than most, had died in a terrible car accident a couple of years ago.

He hadn't spoken to anyone for days, until fed up, Naruko had barged in his house, shaking him out of his grieving, with bear hugs and lots of movies, she had even learned to play shogi.

"You know she will be staying in Konoha, right? She is going to attend college here" Gaara had told her casually when they had met telling her she had come to find an apartment where she could live in, taking advantage of her father's business trip.

"She didn't tell me…"

Naruko maybe wasn't the brightest person in Konoha, but she was one of the closest to the Nara and the one that knew him better then anyone, and his heart broken expression told her exactly what she wanted to know.

"She didn't tell you" She felt something stir in her, she didn't want to see him suffer.

He looked away, and she knew she had him cornered. She got up, and felt a determination rise in her, she felt fired up, wanting Shikamaru to be happy because he deserved it, and she would go to Temari and give her a piece of her mind.

"Get up Nara, it's time I give Suna girl a little Namikaze treatment!"

Shikamaru widened his eyes, and looked at his determined friend, knowing well there wasn't anything that he could do and say to dissuade her when she got in that fiery state.

"She didn't want me to know, it must mean she doesn't care. I'm just some stupid kid to her that fell in love with her like an idiot"

He looked depressed now, and she rolled her eyes at him. He might be considered a genius, but sometimes he was really dense.

"You are more mature than most boys her age, if she doesn't see it, I will make sure she understands the great person she lost" her fists tightened, making her look like a blonde version of her mother. She grabbed Shikamaru's hand, forcing him up.

"Let's go, I know where to find her" she insisted tugging his hand, making him groan in protest.

"What a drag….can I at least put my shoes on?"

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Itachi was finally relaxing in a little cafè near the Uchiha building after his stressful day at work, even if relaxing really wasn't the right word, since he had to endure Shisui's exhausting rambling and Deidara and Sasori bickering constantly.

Thank God Kisame was a quiet person.

"So, you still didn't tell me how your date with Naruko went"

Being the smart person he was, he had already provided in freeing the table of possible objects Itachi could use as a weapon to throw at him. Better be safe than sorry

Shisui smirked spying Itachi's change of expression with a raised eyebrow. To others his expression might have stayed the same, but the older Uchiha knew where to look.

Deidara at the mention of the word date, perked his ears and scooted Sasori out of the way, so he could get closer to the two cousins, and look at the younger Uchiha, ignoring his boyfriend's protests.

"Date? You had a date and you didn't tell me?"

Itachi closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers, a headache was brewing, he could feel it, and was glad he could read some sympathy in the Hoshigaki's face.

"Yell a little louder idiot, I think the man on the far left didn't hear you" Sasori mocked, a little resentful towards his blond partner ignoring him for what he considered girl talk.

The downside of being gay usually was that you didn't have to deal with women's pettiness. At least that's what he had thought, he just had to fall in love with the blonde idiot that was ten times worse than any gossip girl he had ever known.

The artist simply stuck his tongue out at the red head that huffed at his childish behavior.

"So? Where did you two go?" Shisui was grinning, and Deidara was gaping at him with big blue eyes wide, hands on his mouth as to keep his excitement at bay.

Itachi snorted, there was no way he could keep this to himself, his mother must have told Shisui's, there was no other way his cousin could have found out.

"I guess you will bother me until I tell you"

Deidara nodded strongly, making Sasori scoff at him, and Kisame smirk at the red head's distress.

"You know we will, just tell us will ya?"

The long haired Uchiha wished he could burn them or make them disappear, but unfortunately his stare didn't hold that power. He couldn't even intimidate them, and wondered if Naruko was actually softening him up, before deciding he didn't actually care.

"You don't even know the place, even if I did tell you" he smirked feeling a bit smug watching their annoyed expressions.

"Come on…I need details!" Shisui whined prodding his face on his left hand with his lips in a pout.

"So you can go and tell my mother?" Itachi raised an eyebrow at his cousin's surprised expression, before it turned into one of understanding. There was no way of fooling Itachi Uchiha.

"Damn…"

"Well I don't really care for details, at least now I can erase your name from my list" Deidara happily announced, making everyone raise their eyebrows, except his boyfriend's who was already aware of the extent of the blonde's insanity.

"What list?" Shisui asked suspiciously, a little glum for the lack of details, knowing his aunt will not be happy with him.

"He takes note on all our single friends, and tries to match them up, he's like a wedding agency" Sasori grimly explained, showing the other's just how much he loved Deidara, to put up with his craziness.

"It's how I found out I was interested in you my love" Deidara kissed his red head's cheek with a smile. Itacji wrinkled his nose at the thought of such information in Deidara's hands.

The Akasuna smacked a hand on his face, ignoring Shisui's laughs and Kisame amused expression.

"You have such a list?" Kisame asked, taking a sip out of his green tea, giving Deidara a mocking glare.

"Of course, and you are included fish face"

"What a joy" he mumbled, it's not like he was looking for a relationship, and he certainly would not hope for Deidara's help to get one.

The small group, was just about to leave, and Itachi was the first to get up, heading for the counter to pay the bill, when a gasp and a call of his name made him turn around, looking for the source, smiling when he noticed the long haired girl smiling back.

"Itachi! What a surprise seeing you here!" she stepped closer smiling back, pulling her brown hair on one shoulder, out of her way.

"Izumi, how are you doing?"

She seemed to think about it, and then rested a hand on her barely swollen stomach, stroking it lightly.

Itachi's eyes widened when he realized what she was trying to tell him, but damn it, he had met her last week, and she hadn't looked pregnant, of course he had barely noticed the way she was dressed that evening, so he might have missed the bump, and she might not have felt like telling him anyway.

"I guess congratulations are in order"

He said, pointing his finger at her barely pronounced stomach. She looked mortified for a moment, and then nodded.

"I didn't know how to tell you. It seemed like too much all at once."

She lowered her gaze, avoiding his, looking a little uncomfortable, he could tell by the way she was fidgeting, and nervously moving her feet.

"It's ok, you don't have to justify yourself with me."

"I…know…but I didn't know how you would take it"

He frowned for a second, and sighed, before giving her a small smile.

"You don't have to worry about me, I'm happy for you, and, I have moved on too"

She smiled sincerely, and her big dark eyes lightened up.

"I am glad to hear that, you deserve it"

Itachi heard some rustling behind him, and saw his friends were ready to leave. They hadn't noticed the woman in front of him. He and Izumi were standing right by the glass wall, where they could be seen by the outside, and they could see outside as well, and he noticed a tall well built man, with shoulder length brown hair, looking bored standing outside.

"I have to go, Genma is waiting for me outside" she

"Ah, so that's him" the man looked fairly familiar, but he wasn't exactly sure they had met.

"It was nice seeing you" she said smiling, leaning in to give him an awkward hug, that he couldn't really avoid.

Unfortunately, right in that moment a blonde girl was walking right pass that same cafè, seeing the scene.

Itachi though, thought he had only imagined the blur of blonde hair, running away. 8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"Naruko?" Shikamaru was following the stomping girl, she hadn't spoken anymore, since she had seen Itachi hugging a random girl. He was sure there was an explanation, but Naruko had blanched all color draining from her face, and had walked away, without saying anything.

"Naruko would you just stop?"

The girl didn't even turn, and Shikamaru sighed, stopping in his tracks, causing the girl to suddenly stop too, since she was pulling him by the sleeve, and bounce back falling on her bottom with a thud. She hadn't expected him to stop ao harshly probably.

"What did you do that for? Damn Nara" she complained massaging her sore bum, giving her best friend the evil eye.

He didn't say anything he crouched in front of her and looked at her straight in the face.

"You are so stubborn. This ain't even worth crying over" he commented studying her runny nose and reddened eyes.

"It's actually weird seeing you cry, since I know you, I have never seen you shed a tear."

She huffed, standing up, fixing her shorts, dusting them off.

"I am not crying! I mean, I told him I love him and then I see him hugging some girl, I have a right to be pissed!"

she was jealous, and the Nara couldn't avoid finding the whole situation amusing, almost taking pity on the Uchiha. He was convinced Naruko was turning the situation more dramatic than it really was.

"What a drag…she is probably a friend"

She couldn't find a good remark at that, because he was right, and she was being so stupid and unreasonable, but she couldn't help feeling furious, she wished Itachi was there so she could simply yell at him for allowing another woman to touch him. She had never experienced such a strong emotion. Jealousy had never been part of her.

Love really was twisting her mind.

"And I wasn't crying, for your information! Naruko Namikaze doesn't cry!

Shikamaru was staring at her, arms behind his neck, elbows up in the air.

"If you say so. Let me remind you that he still doesn't know you love him, for all he's concerned you might just have said it without meaning it. Think about it, before accusing him of whatever you think he was doing."

"Maybe I am crazy…but…I have these strong feelings for him….I don't know how to handle them"

Shikamaru's features softened at the girl, and sighed, hugging her softly, trying to comfort her.

"The best solution is always the easiest. I already told you, talk to him, don't let this form a gap in your relationship"

She nodded, thanking that she could rely on such a good friend, it still didn't make her completely relax, but it was a good start.

"If he saw us now, he could react just like you" she scoffed, hitting him on the arm.

"Shut up Nara"

He chuckled, his body vibrating against hers, and she rolled her eyes, detaching herself from him, staring at him and waiting until his moment of humor died down.

"Let's go now, Temari's hotel is right there!" she said, her hand on her hip, the other with a finger stretched out, pointing towards a big building not that far.

"You still want to go through with your crazy plan?"

He already felt exhausted, and just wished he could go back to bed.

"Of course! Now move lazy ass!" she skipped happily, full of energy as usual. Shikamaru sighed, and followed her, knowing already she wouldn't change her mind.

"What a drag…"

888888888888888

Author's note:

Hello everyone!

I just want to say thank you! Thank you to all the people that review every chapter, and follow this story, you make me happy, and when I read your review, knowing that you still like and follow this story it makes me want to keep writing for you, and for all the others, all of you. The people that follow, have favorited this story, who leaves just a review, all of you that dedicate a bit of your time for this, Thank you!