AN: It's too hot to even think about careful editing, so I apologise if this is a little messy. Again, half of this chapter is writing that's eight years old.

Hokage Sensei

Chapter twenty six: Sincerity

Tenten woke to a strange feeling. She couldn't remember how she got there, but she was comfortable; With the low sunlight from the autumn morning streaming through the window of her room, and the radiating warmth from her bedding against her back.

Taking in a breath, she realised with a smile that she could breathe without the familiar aching pain of her healing ribs. She wondered how that could be and tried to trace her memories back.

Dimly aware that she must have been in some kind of medical center, she found no concrete memories between the moment Shikamaru had taken her into his arms and now. Only the faint memory of him waking her to take medication, the concerned frown on his face, stuck with her.

Obviously she was back in her own bed, and had been healed, but her thoughts and memories were trapped in a haze. Nevertheless the sheer catharsis after the last week or so of chaos to be without pain, without regret, and without worries promoted her to put lost memories behind her.

Idly wondering whether it was just her ribs that felt better, she tried to move her arm, only to find her movement restricted. It wasn't due to her injuries though, which felt equally as rested as her ribcage, but instead by another arm, fingers coiled around hers.

Realisation dawned as she noticed that the warmth she had felt against her back was in fact him. As awareness kicked in, she could now feel his weight resting over her waist as she held onto her and resting his arm over hers.

His warm breath ghosted over her neck and she felt herself heat up at the feel of it. They hadn't been this close since...

"Shikamaru?" She called out softly, testing whether he was awake.

"Hm" he grunted, woken by her movement. "What's the matter, do you need another pill?"

"Um, probably. I'm sorry I'm such a nuisance. Go back to sleep if you want."

"No, I'm up." He grumbled and sat up, letting go of her. "Feeling any better?"

Missing the feel of his hold, she sighed, but reluctantly turned over to face him. She tried to distract herself away from her previous thoughts by focusing on his questions.

"Much. Think I must have been asleep for over a day."

"Nearly, though you were awake for a few hours; The medic talked you through some things for a while when I went for a cigarette."

"I don't remember. Anything important?"

"Fairly" He put his head in his hands, suddenly annoyed by something. "You seriously remember nothing?"

"I didn't say something stupid did I?" She worried.

"No Tenten..."

"You called me Tenten." She sat up, a little scared by his tone.

Shikamaru noted her worry and forced himself to sit a little straighter. His eyes locked onto hers in an attempt to show sincerity, but all she saw was nerves.

"Listen, there's something you need to know, and since you don't remember what the medic said, I should probably tell you. I'm aware you'll likely freak out and hate me for this, but you'll only find out eventually." He sighed reluctantly.

"What's wrong? Do I not get back onto active duty now?"

"This is serious."

"Ok... I'm listening."

"You um... " He chickened out momentarily, "You really need to take your medication in future. You were very lucky that I could get you to hospital and get your injuries healed properly now that they have lifted the chakra ban, otherwise you would likely still be suffering exhaustion. You have to rest now until the fatigue is gone and you have to take twice as many pills as before. Neji is going to be keeping tabs on you now until you can return to missions."

"OK, but none of that is really news. There is something else. " She frowned, reading his body language like a book.

"Yeah, there is... Remember that evening on the first night of the koyo matsuri that you insisted didn't happen?"

She sighed, her eyes downcast, "I think saying that to you was pretty much the most horrible decision I've ever made."

"Well I think not challenging you was mine." He half laughed bitterly.

"Can we just forget we ever said that and accept it as a good experience?"

"You might want to wait until you've heard what I have to tell you before you make a decision on that one."

"Why?" She was getting frustrated by his stalling now, an edge to her voice that told him to hurry up.

"Well it turns out that that night had consequences, and you um... You're..." He murmered under his breath, so she didn't quite hear what he said.

"I'm what now?"

"Pregnant." He spat out, carefully avoiding her gaze. "As in..."

"Kuso..."

Her eyes shot wide, her mind racing faster even than her speeding heart. Of all the things he might have said, that was nothing she could have imagined.

That had never crossed her mind as a possibility, with her life as a kunoichi as the singular focus in her mind. Just a month ago she was struggling to get her only friend to open up and now she was not only in a romantic relationship but starting a family.

She suddenly understood why Shikamaru was having a hard time telling her the news. Snapping herself out of it, she searched his expression in concern.

"I'm sorry." He frowned, eyes downcast.

"Why? It's not your fault."

"It kind of is."

She read the guilt in his posture as he muttered that statement and frowned, realising how much he would blame himself for this.

"Oh kami, I didn't even think of that..."

He was shocked out of his mood, "Why? Wait, none of my business."

"No... oh stupid, of course it is. I'm just... wow, really?" She ran a hand across her stomach curiously, even knowing nothing would feel different after just a week.

"Yeah, that's about where I was this time yesterday."

"And Neji knows?"

"He told me. Medics trust next of kin over stupid boyfriend every time."

"Boyfriend?" She repeated with a blush.

"Stupid boyfriend, don't forget the stupid. I mean, kuso... that's ok, right?" He finally looked up at her again.

"We're not broken up then?"

"Not unless you want to be." He probed carefully, as if he expected her to turn him down.

"Hell no." She smiled, feeling a wave of satisfaction rush over her.

The relief was palpable, "For real this time? You and me against the world?"

"Makes sense, doesn't it?" She leant in closer and linked her hand with his.

"Am I going to get punched in the balls again if I try to kiss you?"

"What would be the point? It obviously didn't reduce your fertility last time."

She left him no time to answer as she pushed him back down onto the bed and kissed him lazily. She didn't want to think about the connotations, she just wanted to enjoy the moment for what it was, and while she had his undivided attention she intended to take advantage.

He smirked up at her as she leant onto his chest, "You are the most peculiar and brilliant woman I've ever met."

She eyed him up and down as she held him beneath her, her hand snaking up to caress his shoulder, "My body's all freshly chakra-healed up now. Want to see what it can do?"

"Urgh..." He physically struggled to fight his urges, trying to sit them both back up, "as tempting as that offer is, I'm going to have to rain-check it. I have a meeting to get to and you have pills to take."

"You're leaving me alone right now?" She was irate, despite her clouded mind.

He sighed in exhaustion beside her, running a hand through his hair. "I don't want to, but I have to. I'm not going till I'm sure though, are you ok?"

It was obvious to her how stressed out and tired he was over this. She'd had merely minutes to think about what was happening and was still blurred mentally from the hospital, but she thought it best to try to give him an honest explanation the best she could.

"I don't know. I need some time to really think about this."

"Of course. It's a big thing to decide to commit to, but I promise I'm here for you no matter what. " He reached out to hold her hand once more.

"Decide?"

"Yeah. It's your choice..."

"No." She squeezed his hand back in reassurance. "No, this is not a choice and that night was nothing to regret. This has to be a good thing, that's in my gut, I just need to adjust to it."

"Do you really mean that Tenten?" Hope shone in his eyes, "This isn't going to get you back into active duty any faster, and it'll change your life, both of our lives."

"I would be lying if I said that this is where I wanted my life to go at this point in time but what we said means the world to me Shikamaru. It's you and me against the world, and this is just a new part of that." She gave him a brief kiss, "It's all I care about right now."

"You don't want to tell anyone?"

"No, this is no one else's business. Neji knows and I know I'll have to tell Hatake-sama, but if it's ok with you I want to keep this to ourselves as long as possible."

"Whatever you need from me Tenpai, I will do whatever is in my power to give you." He tucked her loose hair over her shoulder affectionately. "There is just one thing though."

"What's that?"

"I'm a clan member. If you want me to stay with you and support this child as its father, it'll become a clan member too. I'm not asking you to become a Nara, but to save the reputation of both of us and our child, my father will have to at least be informed."

She was shocked, not having realised the implications. "How can you even think of these things so soon?"

"I've not stopped thinking about this since Neji told me. I've barely slept."

"I'm so sorry Shikamaru..."

He looked her in the eyes with love. "You're worth it."

"And of course you can tell him. I forget sometimes about families, since I've never really had one."

"You have one now." He smiled, and she smiled in return. "But right now it needs to stop stalling and go."

"Be back quickly." She kissed him again briefly before letting go.

"The quickest." He smirked and left her to her thoughts.

After running a few errands on his way back from Sakura's parent's house, Kakashi figured that a brief detour wouldn't make him too late home. He needed to clear his head after a morning of big emotional steps (at least, big for a man who keeps his cards so close to his chest) and the best place to do that was the memorial.

Of all the people he would expect to bump into there that morning, the three figures gathered casually on the grass were the last he imagined. He froze solid, half expecting to be pounced on, now that Sakura was not around, but he needn t have worried.

Turning around to acknowledge the new presence the blonde smiled with a little wave. "Hey Sensei."

"Yo." He waved back and paced over, hands in his pockets.

"We aren't in the way here are we?" he nodded towards the memorial stone behind them.

"No, but I am contemplating whether I need to warn every one of my ex-students on the dangers of keeping company with the likes of him." He gestured to Genma with his eye.

"Cool off Kakashi." He smirked back, "There's nothing I can screw up in these boys that isn't already screwed."

"Have to say, I wouldn't expect you lot to be here."

"Naruto wanted to talk to the rock." Sai explained tactlessly.

"I was trying to explain to him that the rock represents something, but he just doesn't get it." Naruto sighed impatiently. "You wanna sit with us sensei?"

"I wasn't sure if I was welcome." He opted, like Genma, to lean against a nearby tree rather than sitting beside the younger guys.

"Why wouldn't you be?"

"You aren't upset with me about Sakura?"

Naruto shook his head, showing a level of maturity usually very deeply hidden. "Sakura was never going to fall for me. I'm just glad she's finally over Sasuke."

"It's not weird." It was more of a statement than a question, as he prepared to defend himself.

"I don't know, is it? You tell me... I mean, if Sakura is fine with it and she's happy, then there's no sensible reason for me to have a problem with it. And she seemed pretty happy when I dropped her off at your house the other night."

"Nicely said," Genma laughed. "So... you nailed her yet?"

Both Naruto and Kakashi's eyes were about to jump out of their sockets. "What?!"

"Oh, come off it. I saw the way you two were looking at each other when I was in that office. She wanted a piece for sure, and you've wanted it for much longer than she has."

"He is correct." Sai joined in. "From our brief encounters in the Hokage building it seems Ugly's hormones have become increasingly erratic since she no longer has the outlet for her physical needs that training previously offered her. Since moving in with you, she has been even further restricted from sexual release due to embarrassment and, I can only presume, fear of being caught. You too Kakashi-sempai, have not experienced intercourse since not long after becoming hokage, although you do not seem to have the same problems in relieving..."

"Sai, shut up!" Kakashi snarled before the others asphyxiated with laughter.

"How long have you been pleasuring yourself over Sakura, sensei?" Naruto gasped out between chokes of laughter.

"Don't even think about answering that!" Kakashi warned Sai.

Sai cocked his head to the side. "I was not going to. The question was directed to you."

"Dare I even ask where you two got so filthy minded?"

"You surely don't think the rest of us are still virgins too do you Sensei? Sakura's the only loser around here." Naruto beamed.

"Even you Sai?"

"Just because I have difficulty with emotions, it doesn't also mean I have issues with my hormones Kakashi-sempai, nor the physical release needed."

Genma impatiently interrupted the catch up again with a grin. "So when are you planning on taking advantage of having Sakura in your house? You've got to be desperate by now right, with those pesky feelings coming into play?"

"The way I feel about Sakura has no bearing whatsoever on what happens between us... and she'd never think that way about me." He continued to deny.

"You are so delusional." Naruto shook his head, and Kakashi began to wonder if a Yamanaka was nearby. "Why do you think she's still with you? She's even living with you, right? You can't think that's all because of that silly bet of ours can you?"

"No..." He avoided the younger boy's critical gaze, "she'd have left by now if that was the case..."

His eyes snapped wide, as did Genma's." You... you showed her your face?!"

"That's none of your business."

"You did!" Genma laughed again, "You're head over arse for her, aren't you? Next thing you know you'll be marrying her."

"I know." He sighed with a smile, idly fiddling with the result of his earlier errand in his pocket.

"I was joking!" Genma frowned as Naruto spluttered in shock. Sai looked clueless, not comprehending the meaning of his reaction.

"I' m not. The way she makes me feel... I don't want any other man to have that, even if she doesn't feel the same way. I want her to be mine, and I don't care how selfish that is."

"This is Sakura here we re talking about." Naruto told him sincerely as he regained his grasp on air. "Short of the tiny likelihood that she's scared off by how old and ugly you are, if she's already lost it enough to be dating you, there's just no way she'd say no."

"You think?" He asked, knowing well enough that there was more to it than anyone there knew.

"Of course," Sai responded, "and as any punishment you neglect as Hokage for that refusal would undoubtedly be inflicted tenfold by the women who already hate her for taking you, she wouldn't take the risk."

"I don't want her to say yes for that though."

"Why wouldn't you want her to say yes?"

"I don't want her to feel pressured."

"I still do not understand."

"What Kakashi means, Sai," Naruto explained calmly, "is that he wants to know that Sakura loves him the same way he loves her, and so he wants her to accept his proposal for the same reasons."

"Either way, they will have sex?"

"Shut up Sai."

AN: with any luck that was a bit of lighthearted fun, if a bit shorter than my usual chapters. I hope you all enjoyed it.