The Naruto concept belongs to Masashi Kishomoto. This specific story concept, and any original characters contained within, belong to me.

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Last Step 6.5: Two Week's Notice

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The day, short at it was so far, was full of distractions. His alarm clock was going off. Breakfast was cooking downstairs. His mother was banging on the door. His sister was stomping around downstairs, gathering her gear. And his father was /pa-chi/ placing stones on the goban.

And yet, through it all, Shikashi remained lying in bed. Throwing an arm out, he smacked the OFF button on his clock. That got rid of one distraction, at least.

"I'm coming!" He called to his mother, pacifying another.


"Finally!" She called back. "I swear, if only you were more like your sister." She walked back down the hall, and Shikashi shut his eyes. He'd heard those words so many times before, and he was just as sick of them now as he was when his mother first started using them. His sister, Inoka, was perfect, as far as his mother was concerned. She was currently preparing for the second part of the Jounin exams, having completed the first part with flying colours. Ino spent her days wishing that her son had the same motivation and drive that his older sibling had.

All Shikashi wanted was to be alone. He didn't need a wife. He didn't need a sister. He didn't need this genius intellect and skill he'd been /blessed/ with. He just wanted to live a nice, easy life. Like his father.

Che. Look at how /that/ turned out. You never achieved what you think you want.

Shikashi rolled out of bed lazily. He flopped on the floor with a muffled /thump/. Sleepily picking himself up, he gathered his clothes and cast a curious eye towards the calendar.

Shit. No wonder his mother was banging on the door. Today was his day to tend the deer.

With an unexpected burst of energy, Shikashi threw his clothes on, grabbed a knapsack, and burst out of his room, dashing down the halls. He snatched a piece of toast from the plate on the table, waving a quick goodbye to his parents. He ran past his sister, but didn't manage to avoid her hug. She did, however, notice his hurry, and took care to spin him around so as to avoid any loss of momentum.

Leaping out of the door, Shikashi went on autopilot. He'd made this run thousands of times before, knew the quickest way to get there automatically. He ran along the edge of a hill for several hundred paces before jumping and sliding down the loose dirt to the field. Sprinting through the tall grass, he avoided the ferret holes and vaulted the familiar fence. He knew exactly how tall it was, exactly where one post was sunk just a little deeper than the others, where one flat was nailed in at just a little bit of an angle.

Having reached his destination, he finally slowed and allowed his heart rate to return to something vaguely resembling normal. A small deer came up and nuzzled his hand; he tore off a piece of toast and gave it to the animal. He was glad to see it walking, a coyote attack had injured its leg a few months back, and Shikashi had been worried that it would be lamed for life.

He sat on a fencepost, the top worn smooth from countless ninja sitting countless times on it already. Every member of the Nara clan had to put in some time watching the deer fields; it was part of their legacy.

He reached into the knapsack he had packed last night, withdrawing some dried fruit. Closing his eyes, he munched on an apple-chip and began thinking about Go.

***

Almost asleep, Shikashi lay back in the grass and watched the clouds blow by slowly. He kept his ears open, listening to the rustle of fawns and elks moving through the tall grass, munching at their leisure. If he heard a sound that didn't belong (and he knew what belonged), then he'd have to go check it out.

A high pitched /yip/-ing noise echoed through the fields.

That sure as hell didn't belong in a field of deer. Shikashi jumped up and looked around, trying to identify the location, if not the source, of the sound.

/yip/

There it was again. Shikashi's head swiveled sixty degrees, and he set off at a dead run. If there was some sort of wolf or coyote in the fields, he'd have to catch it, kill it, and figure out where it got through the fence. He hoped it was just a pup; full grown wolves could be pretty dangerous in a fight. Withdrawing three shuriken and holding them between his fingers, the genin jumped over a bush and prepared to hurl the blades at his target.

"STOP!"

A lump flew through the air and collided with Shikashi, sending the stars whirring into the ground harmlessly. Shikashi angrily bounced off the ground and hooked a kunai with his finger, still intent on killing the intruding animal. Again, that voice stopped him.

"Stop, Shikashi-kun! It's just me and Midomaru."

What the hell? Shikashi holstered his weapon and watched the lump rise to its…her…feet. "Kimiko?" He questioned. "What are you doing here?"

She stood up, blushing. "I was out running with Midomaru, and he just caught a scent and took off towards here. I'm sorry. I didn't realize you kept deer over here, otherwise I would have kept him closer to me." Her face flushed redder, and she edged towards the fence. "I guess he dug a hole underneath the fence. I'm sorry. I-I'll help you fill it in, if you want."

Shikashi shook his head. "That's fine. I can do it." He grabbed the collapsible shovel attached to his belt, and began silently filling in the hole.

Kimiko sighed. "I'll be on my way, then. S-sorry to bother you."

Without looking up from the hole, Shikashi stopped her. "You can stay, if you like. It's no trouble." Kimiko looked back at him, and her dog panted hopefully.

"Are you sure?" She questioned. Shikashi tamped the earth flat with the blade of his shovel, and nodded.

"I wouldn't invite you if I wasn't sure. Midomaru can go play tag with the deer, or something. They could use the exercise. Just so long as he remembers not to hurt them, it should be fine."

Kimiko picked up her puppy and looked him straight in the eye. "You hear that?" She questioned sternly. "No biting, whatsoever. If I hear one bleat out of those deer, I'm taking you straight home." The puppy whined assent, and she set him down, watching him bound off towards the fawns.

Shikashi chuckled. "You know, you looked very stern there, for a moment. Like a mother, almost." Kimiko activated her perma-blush, and glanced at him shyly.

"You think so?" She asked. Shikashi nodded with an easy smile, and sat on one of the struts. Pulling out a sandwich, he offered half to Kimiko. She sat next to him, and the two of them began eating lunch.

***

A young elk came up and headbutted Kimiko off of her precarious seat on the fence. Shikashi chuckled at her predicament, and explained. "He wants you to give him some food" he told her. Reaching into his pack, he flipped a small cube of salt at the elk's hoofs. The elk picked it up delicately, and crunched it to pieces with his teeth. Shikashi offered a couple cubes to Kimiko, and she took them hesitantly.

"Just put them in your palm," he instructed her. "Keep your hands open, and offer it to him." She did so, flinching when the elk came near. "He's not going to hurt you. He just wants some salt. Be gentle, now." He admonished the deer.

Slowly and carefully, the elk lipped a single cube out of her palm. A small fawn came up and took another, while the father of the two delicately ate the third. Kimiko laughed quietly at the strange, tickling feeling of the animals licking her palm. She wiped her hands on Shikashi's shirt, and he protested good naturedly.

***

Bleating and growling from a young elk mixed with Midomaru's barking and yipping to form a bizarre animal orchestra. Kimiko stood up angrily, ready to go collar her dog, but Shikashi stopped her with his arm. "They're just wrestling," he told her. "I'd know it if he was biting one of them."

She sat down, but her eyes looked worried. "Are you sure?" She asked. "Maybe I should go and check."

He sat her down again. "I'm sure. They'd tell me, if he hurt them." She looked at him questioningly.

"You mean, you understand what they say?" She said. He grinned at her perplexity.

"It's really not that amazing," he told her. "Your family does the same thing with their dogs, don't they?" She nodded affirmative.

"I guess so." She said. "It just seems so normal when I do it. I've never thought about doing it with other animals, as well."

Shikashi looked over the fields, inspecting the deer. "It's not quite as amazing as it sounds, really. I don't understand what the deer say, exactly. I just know what noises they make when they want something. It's not so much a language, as it is a mutual understanding."

Kimiko stared at the deer, her eyes bright and longing. "Still, that's so cool. They're so beautiful…I wish I could talk to them!" Shikashi looked at her, then at the deer.

"It's not hard," he told her. "I could teach you a bit, if you wanted." Kimiko looked at him hopefully.

"Could you?" She asked. He nodded.

"Okay, try doing this." From Shikashi's mouth issued an alien series of bleats and rattles. Kimiko laughed, then tried to imitate him. Shikashi grinned at her.

"Well, what I said was something along the lines of, come here." She laughed, and asked what she had said. With a straight face, he responded, "Do me right here, right now."

She shrieked and hit him, almost falling off the fence. An elk came up and nudged her, making her shriek again. Shikashi laughed again, and gave her a hand up on the fence again.

"You didn't actually mangle it that much," he informed her. "It sounded a little weird, but the message came through."

The elk nudged Kimiko again, and Shikashi gave her another salt cube to offer.

***

As the sun began to set, the chill wind blew through the field, and Kimiko shivered. Without a word, Shikashi offered her his vest. "Won't you be cold?" She asked softly. He shook his head.

"Nah…I'm used to it. I spend lots of time down here, and it's hard to predict the temperature a lot. I end up without a vest when I should have brought one every once in a while. Once more won't hurt me."

She donned the vest and sat, watching her breath fog in the air. "So your parents make you come out here pretty often, then?" She asked quietly. He looked at her, then went back to watching the deer.

"It's not so much that they make me. I love coming out here, away from my family. No mother to nag at me. No sister who does everything perfect. Just the deer, and they're happy with me the way I am, as long as I bring them some treats."

Kimiko thought about that for a couple minutes. "You don't like your family, then?" she asked after a while. Shikashi took his time in replying.

"It's not that I don't like them, I guess. I just…Well, my mom is a naggy person. It's the way she is. Dad was one of the smartest and best ninja in his generation, right up there with Naruto and Sasuke. He just didn't have any motivation to do well. He failed his genin exams a couple times because he couldn't be bothered to take the tests."

Kimiko was quiet, waiting for him to continue.

"And my mother was really motivated, but she didn't have anywhere near the ability my dad did. When Inoka, my sister, was born, she looked a lot like my mom. Same blonde hair, and everything. My parents were a bit worried when she first went to Ninja Academy, though. What if she only had her mom's ability, and none of her dads? Turns out that didn't happen. Not only does my sister have my dad's ability, she's got my mom's motivation. So my mom is happy, 'cause Inoka always tries really hard. And my dad is happy, 'cause Inoka always does really well."

Kimiko scooted a bit closer to Shikashi, her presence giving unspoken comfort. Taking a deep breath, he continued.

"So when I was born, everybody expected the same thing. Turns out I show even more ability than my dad did, but I don't have even half the motivation he had. So my mom is always nagging at me to try harder. She's always saying things like, 'If only you were more like your sister', and 'Inoka did it without me asking once'."

 Shikashi's imitation of his mother was cold and accurate.

"She never says, you know, 'good job, Shikashi.'. She always thinks to herself that Inoka could have done it faster, or better, or with less nagging, or something." Kimiko leaned against him, her eyes closing sleepily. Not noticing, Shikashi continued with his monologue.

"And the funny thing is, it doesn't come between my sister and I. You'd think we'd have some sort of sibling rivalry or something between us, but we don't. She's always honestly trying to help me do better. Helping me with a Jutsu so mom will get off my back, or doing the dishes so I can finish my homework. I love her to death, I just wish mom would leave me along every once in a while."

Shikashi looked down at the girl leaning against him, and pink stained his cheeks. Was she sleeping on his chest? He reached out and arm to shake her and wake her up, but something stopped him. He got the sense that it would be a crime to keep her from getting her rest, especially when she looked as cute as that.

A small whine made Shikashi look down. Midomaru was sitting at Shikashi's feet, waiting for something. Shikashi rolled his eyes. "Look," he muttered. "I don't speak dog, okay? Deer is pretty much my limit. If you want something, you're going to have to tell me."

Midomaru whined again, and nudged Kimiko's foot. It flopped lifelessly. "No, she's not dead. She's just asleep."

Midomaru latched onto the toe of her shoe, and began dragging her off the fence. Shikashi stood up and grabbed her away gently. "Hey, don't do that! You'll wake her up. Let me lock up the deer fields, and I'll…I don't know. I'll carry her." Setting Kimiko down in the grass, Shikashi emptied the rest of his salt cubes into the pot near the entrance to the fields, and locked the gate. Walking back, he deposited Kimiko and her puppy on the other side, before vaulting over himself.

Picking up the sleeping girl, he cradled her in his arms and followed her dog up the hill.

***

After several minutes of walking, Shikashi came to the entrance of a moderately sized house. While Shikashi stood on the porch, Midomaru scrambled through the dog-flap. The ninja waited patiently, listening to voices inside.

"What? She's where?" The front door burst open, and Kiba hurled himself out of it. "Where's my daughter?!" he asked roughly. Shikashi indicated the bundle in his arms.

Just as Kiba's veins looked like they were about to burst, a calm voice stopped him. "Kiba, knock it off. He's doing us a favor by bringing her home; aren't you going to invite him in?"

Ten-Ten stood calmly in the doorway, grinning at something. Shikashi wasn't sure if it was at him, Kimiko, or Kiba. The giant man deflated, and gestured for Shikashi to enter. Ten-Ten smiled wider, and moved aside. "I'll say it, if my husband can't. Please, won't you do us the honor of staying for tea?" Shikashi was about to decline, when a giant hand fell on his shoulder. "Of course he will, Ten-Ten. Please, go prepare the pot for us." The hand steered Shikashi through the threshold of the house as the genin muttered under his breath, "With an offer like that, how can I refuse?"

The hand tightened dangerously. "I heard that, brat."

From the kitchen: "Kiba, knock it off and take our daughter up to bed."

Kiba sighed, and released the boy. Gingerly taking his daughter from Shikashi, the Jounin went up the stairs, sliding a door open. After a moment, the door slid closed again, and he descended into the lobby area. "Come, boy. There's tea in the kitchen."

Shikashi removed his shoes, and followed Kiba to the kitchen. Ten-Ten indicated a chair, and set a steaming mug of mint tea in front of him. The other two Ninja sat down, and Ten-Ten smiled at Shikashi. "Were you aware that our daughter was expected home over three hours ago?" She questioned idly, stirring her tea. Shikashi stared into his, trying to avoid the prying eyes of parents.

"No, I wasn't." He replied honestly. "I'm sorry. Had I known, I would have tried to get her back on time." Ten-Ten laughed at his obvious discomfort.

"Oh, don't worry." She reassured him. "I'm delighted that she was out spending time with somebody. You've probably noticed, she's not the sort of person who makes a lot of friends." Shikashi nodded, and Kiba took over the conversation.

"So. Where were you, with /my/ daughter, for almost the entire day?" he rumbled semi-threateningly. Shikashi shrugged.

"I was out tending the deer, and she came by with her puppy. The deer seemed fine with it, so I let them stay for a while."

Ten-Ten looked at him. "You were at the Nara deer fields?" She asked. "The deer let her and Midomaru run around over there?"

Shikashi nodded. "Yeah. Midomaru played tag and wrestled with some of them."

Kiba laughed. "Well, well. My own daughter can get into the Nara deer fields." Shikashi looked at him questioningly, and Kiba clarified. "Shikamaru tried to get me out there, once. I've still got the scar on my arm. The deer didn't like the smell of dog that was on me, so they attacked."

The rest of the conversation continued casually, with Ten-Ten asking Shikashi questions about training and missions, and their teacher. She was happy that Naruto was teaching her daughter, and she seemed equally happy that Shikashi was on her team. "She needs the support somebody like you and Naruto can give her," Ten-Ten informed Shikashi. Kiba nodded agreement.

Having finished the last of his tea, Shikashi checked the clock. It was late, much later than he thought it was. "I should head home," he said. He stood up, and Ten-Ten began collecting the dishes. Kiba clapped Shikashi on the shoulder. "You seem like a good guy," he said softly. "Treat my daughter well." The genin nodded slowly, and headed out the door. As he was putting on his shoes, a voice stopped him, just like it had at the beginning of the day.

"Shikashi…"

He looked up, and saw Kimiko in her nightgown looking down at him. "Thank you for bringing me home," she told him. He smiled at her, and waved it off.

"It was no problem," he said. "And..um…I'll be at the deer fields again next Saturday, if you and Midomaru would like to come along."

Kimiko smiled. "I would like that very much." She told him. She opened her mouth to say something more, but Kiba called at them from the kitchen.

"Shikashi, I don't hear you leaving!"

Kimiko muffled a giggle with her hand, and waved goodbye at Shikashi. He understood, they could talk more tomorrow. He waved back, and opened the door. "Bye, Ten-Ten, Kiba, Kimiko!" A chorus of goodbyes floated behind him as he walked down the path towards his house.

***

He opened the door, and was greeted by his mother.

"Where the hell have you been? You were supposed to be back an hour ago. Your sister has been out looking for you in the cold for forty five minutes."

Shikashi wandered into the kitchen, answering her with a vague, "Out". Ino glared at him.

"Out?" She responded. "You were /supposed/ to be at the deer fields today. I suppose you-" Her comment was cut short by the door opening and closing again, and Inoka entered the house.

"I found Shikashi, Mother. He's over at-" She entered the kitchen and saw her little brother. "Oh. I guess he's here, now. Never mind." She walked over to Shikashi, giving him a quick hug. "Hey, baby brother. How's life at the Inuzuka household?"

Ino gaped. "What were you doing at the Inuzuka house?" Inoka laughed. "He was dropping off a girl, mother. She was down at the deer fields with him, and fell asleep. Kiba and Ten-Ten spent some time grilling him on what they did together. If they hadn't, he would have been on time. Don't worry about it."

Ino glared at her daughter. "My son spent all day with some girl, and I'm supposed to not worry?" She sat Shikashi down in a chair, and told Inoka to go prepare some tea. "Now," she instructed excitedly. "Tell me everything! What's she like? What's she look like? She has a puppy, right? What's his name? Is she a strong ninja?"

Inoka laughed, and patted her mother on the head. "Shikashi's not like us boys, Mother. You'll have to slow the questions down a bit if you want to get some answers out of him."

Inoka glared at her daughter. "I'll ask as many questions as I wish, you. Besides that, why aren't I asking /you/ these questions? You're older. You've had more than enough time to find somebody, right? Why don't you have a boyfriend yet?"

Shikashi interrupted quickly. "She's not my girlfriend, mom. She's just a friend who came down to the deer fields. That's it."

Ino kissed his forehead. "You say that now, dear. I'll ask you again in two weeks, and your answer will different. I'm just trying to get a head start on everything."

Shikamaru entered the room sleepily. "What's all the commotion about?" he asked, while pouring himself a cup of tea. Ino stood up and hugged him. "Our little boy is getting himself a girlfriend!" she cried exuberantly. "I'm so happy for him, it's so sweet!"

Pulling away from her husband, Ino glared at her daughter. "Now if only his sister followed his lead, I'd be a grandmother soon."

Inoka shook her head. "Not happening, mother. I'm about to become a jounin. I want to spend a couple years enjoying my rank before I extend somebody's family line. Besides, there are no ninja around here that I want to date."

Ino snorted. "What about that Uchiha kid? Hana, right?" Inoka glared at her mother.

"Mother, there is no way on earth I'm going to date that arrogant, stuck up brat! He thinks he's better than everybody else, just because he's an Uchiha. I can't believe I'm on his team for the next part of the Jounin exam." While Ino made insinuations about romantic possibilities and Inoka seethed about the unfairness of life, Shikamaru looked at his son.

"So you found a girl, huh?" Shikamaru asked, sipping his tea. Shikashi nodded, having learned from experience that it was useless to try to lie to his father. Shikamaru took another drink, savoring the mint flavor.

"Well, be sure you treat her well. As long as you try your best to make her happy, that's all you need to do. Nobody, not even Kiba, will be mad at you if you do that."

Shikashi nodded, thinking about those words. Try to make her happy…He'd done that today, hadn't he? The genin yawned, and Ino quit nagging her daughter to examine her son.

"Oh my god, look at the time! Shikashi, you've got training to do tomorrow! You go right up to bed, and no buts! I mean it! You too, Inoka. You've got to prepare for the Jounin exams!"

Shikashi stood up slowly and followed his sister off to bed, still thinking about what his father said.

Do everything you can to make her happy…Somehow, Shikashi didn't think there was anything in the world he'd rather do more.

***

Kiba and Ten-Ten sat together, watching the fire burn down, drinking some tea.

"He'll be good for her, don't worry." Ten-Ten said, suddenly. Kiba jumped.

"I wasn't thinking about that!" He insisted. Ten-Ten laughed, and tweaked his nose. "Silly, you haven't thought of anything else since he showed up. So I'm telling you. He's a Nara. He'll be entirely devoted to her, just like Shikamaru is to Ino. There's nothing you need to worry about, so just let it happen."

Kiba nodded slowly, and stood up, carrying his wife. "Well then, let's get off to bed," he muttered. Walking to the bedroom, he deposited his wife, stripped off his clothes, and climbed, falling asleep almost instantly. Ten-Ten embraced him gently, and fell asleep as well.

***

Next time on Last Step: The Jounin exams, part two! I promise!

***

Author's note: Heh. Sorry, you guys. This is somewhat of an apology chapter. I was in a big rush to get Chapter Six out for all of you, I forgot to do some basic things. Like, oh, editing. As such, it was riddled with mistakes, which you all promptly caught and told me about. Good for you.

Quick question I want to answer: Somebody asked me how Lee became a Jounin, if all he can do is Taijutsu? Well, I'll tell you.

I don't know. How'd the guy become a genin, or a chuunin? Actually, if you read Betrothal (An excellent story by Lackey H), there's gonna be an excellent explanation of Summoning and why Lee might be able to do it. It's cool. I won't spoil it for you, but it's cool. Short of stealing Lackey H's ideas to explain my plot holes, I honestly don't know how Lee became a jounin. He just did.

Wow. I started out writing this, intending that it would be just a short little three page one-shot with some ShikaKimi fluff. Then it didn't end until the tenth page, and I decided to make it a bonus chapter as an apology for the low quality of chapter six. I'll try to do better from now on, I promise.

So what did you all think? It didn't advance the story that much, but I've heard lots of people saying that they think Shikashi and Kimiko go well together, so I thought I'd write it. It was more fun than I thought it would be.

Okay, I'm done. Good? Bad? Let me know.