Nara Shikamaru; 1 Year Later

Age 13

-The Whipped-

If someone paid me for every time I found myself somewhere I didn't want to be, I would be able to retire being a ninja at only thirteen.

Sure, it's not like I actually knew where I was, but all I knew is that I didn't want to be there. As far as I'm concerned, as long as I'm not looking at the clouds in the comfort of my backyard or any other familiar area of Konoha, I don't want to be there.

My father and I left for a mission a little over two days ago. I was under the impression that this mission was going to be extremely difficult to fulfill, but we showed up and it turned out that our services weren't required anymore because the country had managed to solve its problems on its own.

What followed was a terrible and continuous series of unfortunate events that led us here.

Where is here?

I have no idea.

"Dad, we are lost." I said.

"We're not lost, Shikamaru." My dad said.

We were lost.

I was actually quite happy to find that our mission had been "cancelled", I guess I would call it. I figured we'd be returning home early. Our scheduled returning time had been six o'clock last night and now it was late into the next morning and still we were tramping through the forest.

My father had said that it would be pointless to travel all the way to a different country and not mull around for a little while. I thought this was very unlike my father.

But then it turns out that the particular country we visited was very famous for his high quality liquor. I guess the rest of our story is pretty self-explanatory.

I looked up at the sky.

We had been walking for way too long.

"Dad, let's just rest." I said. "This is pointless."

My father stopped walking and looked at me.

"We just rested, Shikamaru." Said my dad. For some reason, he always sounds like he has a terrible hangover. Oh right, that's because he really DOES always have a terrible hangover.

"Dad, that was an hour ago." I said, sitting down and leaning up against a tree.

I knew he couldn't argue with that logic. Besides, he obviously wanted to rest too because he sat down as well without anymore argumentation.

I just waited for him to bring up Mom.

"Your mother's probably very worried about us." He said.

"That's all you ever think about." I said. "You're so whipped."

"I am not whipped." My dad retorted.

"You are so whipped." I repeated.

He only sighed in response. He is whipped and he knows it.

"I'm just concerned for your mother." He said. "I would be worried if she was missing all day."

"You're not worried if she's worried." I said. "You're just worried that she'll yell at you for worrying her."

"Shikamaru, that's not true." He said.

Even though I knew it was true, I was going to let him think that he had won that argument. And, by not saying anything in response, he knew that he had not, in fact, won.

I don't know how long we sat there. But after a while, we both realized that we had been sitting there a long time. So we stood up and continued our journey. It must have been well passed noon… probably around two, when we finally started to catch a sight of similar surroundings.

"Konoha's not far from here." He said.

"You said that last night." I reminded him.

"But this time I know for sure." He said, pushing aside some bushes and revealing the village way off in the distance. It was very far away.

I subconsciously let out an annoyed sigh. Even though we could now see the village, it was still…so far away. It was going to take us another good hour until we reached there.

I was enthusiastic to reach home and finally be able to sleep in my own bed. One night in a hotel in the same bed as my drunken passed out father, and two nights outside on the ground. Yeah, I was definitely looking forward to sleeping in my bed. I also couldn't wait to get a little alone time and just look at the clouds.

"Shikamaru, no more rests until we get there." My father said.

"You don't have to tell me twice." I said. "I WANT to get home."

"First we go to the Hokage's office." He said.

"I know, I know." I said, rolling my eyes. I had been on a bunch of missions and knew the drill. It was always so troublesome to have to go on a mission with my father, especially if he and I were the only ones on the team. He usually had better conduct when there were other people there.

Even though both of us were eager to get back to the village, our pace didn't quicken by very much as we drew closer.

In fact, I do believe it actually slowed down.

I'm just glad we weren't returning from a strenuous mission with someone injured or something. That would have been really bad news, especially since we got lost and everything. From now on, I was going to pay attention to directions and not let my father lead the way.

No one was waiting outside the Hokage's office when we finally arrived. I wasn't really expecting anyone to be there but in a way…I was expecting people to be there. But I guess we were awfully late returning from our mission.

Even Chouji couldn't wait THAT long for us to return.

"Come in!" the Hokage called from inside.

My father and I entered.

"Well, it's good to see you both aren't dead." She said.

"Thank you." Said my father.

Man, he is whipped by every woman, not just my mother.

"Well, I heard that your mission was cancelled." Said the Hokage. "So we received no payment. I apologize for the inconvenience of the journey. You both are dismissed now."

What a drag. We travel for three days and don't even get paid for it. If I was the leader of the mission, I would have demanded payment, but my father only bowed to the Hokage and went for the door.

"Oh and Shikamaru," I heard the Hokage say in that tone that suggested she was going to give me another mission.

"Yes ma'am?" I said.

My father stopped walking as well, but she nodded at him, signaling him to leave the room. He turned away and left.

"Shikamaru, we have an important B-rank mission coming up within the week." She began. "Now, I know you've just returned from a mission, but I was thinking that since it was cancelled, you wouldn't mind going on another."

"What would the team be composed of?" I asked.

"Two chuunins and two jounins." The Hokage replied. "And, no, you would not be going on the mission with your father."

I hated how she acted as though I had a choice in the matter on whether or not I could accept the mission.

"Okay." I said. "Sounds like a fair deal."

"Good then." She said. "I'll send somebody by with details later on."

I nodded to her and left the room to find my father waiting.

"What did she want?" he asked.

"She wants me to go on another mission." I answered.

"I think she's taken a liking to you, Shikamaru." My father said. "I didn't even get this many missions when I first became a chuunin. You can consider yourself very lucky."

"Very lucky indeed." I said. "It's troublesome."

"Shikamaru, you won't think it's so troublesome when YOU'RE the Hokage and it's time to assign missions to jounins and chuunins."

That always really annoyed me. For some reason, my dad always said things like that. As if he KNEW that I was going to become the Hokage when I so obviously was not going to be. Maybe he just said that in order to convince himself that he had not failed in bringing up his son.

We reached home and my father went to the front door.

"Dad, I'm just going in the backyard." I said. "Call me back inside when Mom stops yelling at you."

"Shikamaru…" my father said, shaking his head, but I went to the backyard before he could answer.

I lied down to look at the clouds. I hardly had a few moments to myself before I heard Chouji's familiar voice.

"Shikamaru!!" Chouji exclaimed, running over to me. "We're so relieved you're okay!"

"Oh, hey Chouji." I said.

"You ARE all right, aren't you, Shikamaru?" Chouji said..

"Of course I am. What could have possibly happened?"

"COUNTLESS things, Shikamaru! ANYTHING could have happened! It was a dangerous mission!"

"What were you doing on your mission this time?" Ino asked.

Usually I'd tell them all about my mission if they asked, but I didn't want to tell them about how our mission was cancelled and then we got lost. "I can't share the details of this mission with a genin."

"Please, Shikamaru?" Ino pleaded.

"I can't share the details of this mission with a genin."

"At LEAST tell us why you were late!" she said.

"I can't share the details of this mission with a genin."

"Fine. Well, I have to go to work anyway."

Ino stormed off. Did she cut her hair again?

"Are you glad to be back, Shikamaru?" Chouji questioned.

Would the questions ever end? "Yes."

"I'm glad to see you're all right." Said Asuma. "But I can't hang around anymore. Chouji, you can have the rest of the day off."

With that, Asuma was gone.

I sighed. As much as I liked Chouji, there was only so long I would be able to handle him when all I wanted to do was stare at the clouds.

"What's the matter, Shikamaru?" Chouji asked.

I waved it off, unaware that I had made any sort of indication that something was wrong.

Chouji was quiet for a while, but I knew it would only be a matter of time before he asked something completely random that spawned from his trail of thought. "Do you miss being a genin, Shikamaru?"

"Sometimes."

"Today?"

"No, not to today."

He paused. I waited for him to continue.

"Did something go wrong on your mission?"

"You could say that."

I didn't really want to talk about the mission. I knew if I let Chouji continue to ask questions, I'd eventually let it slip that our mission had been one big screw-up.

"What have you been up to, Chouji?"

"Me?" I said.

He waited for a long time. A new record for Chouji. He actually looked like he was thinking about things while he stared thee clouds.

"Oh, Shikamaru." He said finally. "Nothing really at all. It's not interesting around here when you're away on missions."

I sat up and looked at Chouji. He had such a curious attitude about everything. But still, he was the nicest guy I knew.

"That's nice." I said.

I knew there would be more to our conversation, though, even though I had tried to end it on numerous accounts.

"Shikamaru, when is your next mission?" Chouji asked inevitably.

I didn't know whether or not to tell him about my mission that was coming up within the week. "I'm not sure." I answered, realizing there would be no harm in telling him. "Within the week."

"Already?" Chouji said, sounding incredibly outraged.

"Yup." I answered.

"Wow, Shikamaru." He said. "Being a chuunin must be really tough."

He really had no idea. Being a chuunin was troublesome and strenuous and consumed all my free time. I knew it was every genin's dream to become a chuunin, but it really wasn't as glorious as it was made out to be.

"Yeah, Chouji." I said in response. "It really is."