I consider myself a good cook, like in the middle? Not a great cook but definitely not a bad one. I used to tease Sakura-chan that the kids liked my cooking better, they've said that before, but recently, I have been humbled ten times over. From the egg that stuck on the ceiling, which by the way the smell is finally gone, to now with this damn bake sale. Who even came up with the concept of bake sales?! Trying to do this bake sale for Shina-chan was the hardest thing I've ever done, and I've been to war. This is ridiculous, I don't know how Sakura-chan does this.

"Dad, can you tell Mom to do this?" I watched my son slap a poster on the kitchen island. I picked it up and got a closer look.

"A bake sale? Since when did they start doing bake sales?"

Shinachiku shrugged and walked over to the fridge. "I've always had to do it since...ever? Mom said she did it one time, I think?"

"Oh really.." Skimming through the poster, I saw the requirements. "Not too big, not too little. A dozen baked goods as a minimum blah blah blah...due October 24th... October...24th..." I looked around for the calendar but couldn't see it, however, I did see my daughter who loved keeping repeating the day's date. She's becoming so smart these days. "Hanami, what day is it today?"

Hanami turned around and thought for a moment before a huge smile plastered onto her face. "It is the two-three day!"

"What?!" These things are due tomorrow, and it's already twelve o'clock! "Shinachiku!" I heard his light footsteps from the hallway.

"Yes, Dad?"

I held up and waved the poster around, "Why didn't you say anything about this bake sale sooner?! Your mother can't do this, she's won't be home til late!"

"Well," he started scratching his head out of nervousness, a trait he got from me. "I...kinda...forgot about it..?' Forgetfulness, another trait he got from me, poor kid. "I just remembered when Teacher said we can use it as a substitution for a test and...I kinda need that? The last test wasn't so...good."

"And what was it?"

"Ah...75/100."

"T-That's a C, you're doing this for a C?! If I got a C for a test I'd be jumping for joy..."

"Come on Dad, please!" he begged. Shinachiku was like his mother, academically gifted. Anything lower than a B would get him so frustrated. Kinda wish he inherited my Academic skills so he wouldn't stress himself out of trial things like this.

"I.." I looked back at the paper then back at my son and sighed. "Your mother isn't going to be able to do this, but since this seems really important, I'll do it."

Shina ran and hugged my torso. "Thanks, Dad."

"Anything for you." I sighed and hugged him back.

"But, Dad?" He backed off and grabbed the poster to hand it to me. "Do you know how to bake?"

"Of course, I know how to bake!"

"I don't know how to bake."

The kitchen was a mess, with flour and sticky dough everywhere. A few eggshells lay in some of my bowls full of batter, the rest in the kitchen sink. It looked as If a tornado ran through here.

"Where's that damn book.." grumbling under my breath, I flipped the pages to the desired bake good. "A Strawberry shortcake should not be this hard!"

"Dad, you...doing okay in here?" Shina cautiously walked through the powder-filled mess. "Looks like just...threw the sugar everywhere." A look of disgust crept along his face. "Everywhere."

"Shina-"I sat the spatula covered in greasy batter down on the sink. "Didn't I say I had this? I can bake! I just...need a little bit of direction."

"Uh...yeah Dad, sure. I'm...going to go back in my room until all of this," he motioned to the kitchen. "Is done. Good luck, soldier."

Once he left, released a heavy sigh and slid down the kitchen island. This was beginning to be almost too much. The kitchen looks a mess...I need backup. I got to my feet and grabbed my phone. Hopefully, he's not too busy...

tapping my fingers in anticipation, I looked over the kitchen one last time before someone on the other line spoke.

"Hello?" A tired voice came through the phone.

"Shikamaru, I need your help-hello? H-Hello?" I moved the move away from my ear and saw the called need. "I know he didn't just hang up on me!" I pressed redial and waited until the phone picked up once again.

"Whatever it is, I'm not doing it." Shikamaru now sounding annoyed said through the phone.

"Come on! I really need your help on this!"

"Don't you have some uh...paperwork to sign or some shit? Or did you forget you're still the Hokage?"

I checked behind me before I spoke again. "Listen you pineapple bitch, if you don't come over and help me, I'll tell Temari what you said about her cooking. And you don't want that, do you."

"...I'm on my way, geez."

"That's what I thought!"

After fifteen minutes, a knock came at the door. I swung open the door to a visibly unhappy Shikamaru. "Shika! Glad you could make it!"

"Shut the hell up." He moved passed me into the house. "What the hell is going on with your kitchen?"

"Well," I grabbed the now flour-covered poster and handed it to him. "Shina has a bake sale and it's usually Sakura that bakes but since she's not here...yeah."

Shikamaru looked at the poster then at me. "Last minute bake sale? Really?"

"He didn't tell me until today!"

"Right." He pushed the poster into my torso and walked closer to the kitchen. "Why do you have multiple bowls of the same batter? What are you even trying to make?"

"I messed up on some but I want multiple!" I jogged behind the kitchen counter to grab the book. "I'm trying to make three of these."

"Strawberry shortcake? That's easy, Naruto." He yawned and sat the book in front of him. "Do you have any of the ingredients left?"

"I have all but...strawberries," I said while rummaging through the fridge. "Should I get that now or..."

"Go run to the marketplace and get some strawberries, I'll clean this shit up."

"You got it!" I grabbed my wallet and headed out.

Shikamaru looked around at the mess his friend/boss made and shook his head. "What a drag."

ten minutes later, I came back home to a completely new kitchen. The counters and islands were cleared of powder and thousand pounds of batter, The sink was full of eggshells, and there were three single bowls sitting at the counter.

"Stop staring and get your ass over here! Come on!"

"S-Sorry," I put the strawberries, still in their bags, on the counter and got to mixing the other bowls. "You made new batter?"

"Nah." he ran to the sink t wash his hands. "The ones you already did were good, they were just filled with eggshells. All you needed to do was pick them out."

"Wow Shikamaru, you really know your stuff!"

"No, I don't I just live with a woman who thinks they can cook," He looked at me with a smirk. ' Like you."

"Whatever, I can cook, bake, whatever whatever."

The two of us finished mixing the ingredients and put them in pans and into the oven. We sat down at the kitchen table as the cakes finished. "Thanks for helping, Shikamaru."

He snorted. "You didn't give me a choice considering you were going to snitch to Temari if I didn't."

"Correct!" I smiled.

"...You really like this stay-at-home gig, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think I do. Even though it gets tough some days, I really like this arrangement. I get to know the kids and do fun stuff with them and still have time to go through my paperwork. And the thing is, I'm not even tired anymore! They run me ragged, sure, but I feel a sense of...renewal? I don't know how else to describe it..."

"...I feel the same way." I looked over at him. He had his eyes closed, smiling to himself. "Shikadai is so similar to me it's crazy... All he does is mirror me. I think Temari is becoming jealous." He snickered.

"Mmm..."

A smell seeped into my nose, something foul was in the air. I sniffed again halfawake and coughed. Burnt. Burned. Burning.

"The cakes!" I shot up startling an equally sleepy Shikamaru and ran over to the oven. The burnt smell only intensified as a opened up the oven door. "Shit!" I grabbed them one by one with the kitchen gloves and sat them on the counter. "Pleased don't be burned."

"It's burnt." Shikamaru sighed and rubbed his temples. "How the hell did we both fall asleep?"

"I-I don't know but can it be saved?!"

Shikamaru looked at me as if I grew two heads. "Does it look like it can be saved, you idiot?!" The cakes were burned black in different spots. One of them had a big spot in the middle.

I slumped down in the chair feeling defeated. "So, what do we do now?"

"The only thing we can and should've done earlier." He gave me a knowing look. All I could do was sigh.

"I'll get my wallet."

We just bought the cakes in the end. Shina later came out of his room complaining about the burning smell, which I'll admit was strong. I just hope it all goes away before Sakura gets home. I'm tired of getting in trouble man... The things I do for my children