Let Me Be Your Shadow

A/N: Naruto Universe Property of Kishimoto

A/N2: First Temari/Shikamaru fic around here…as far as I know If I'm wrong, feel free to inform me of the existence of other fics of this sort, I like odd pairings.

Chapter One

Ino was being annoying again. After I returned from the Hidden Grass, she trailed after me like a lost kitty. After Sasuke got married with a quiet girl with pretty blue eyes the year before, Ino turned her obsessive brand of affections on me. At seventeen, she was a curvy young woman and a fierce fighter to boot. But we really went through too much together to ever become more than lifelong friends. I didn't change much since I became a chuunin five years ago, still a little perplexed about the silliness in people, and a little reluctant about everything. Chouji always called me "a little old man". Well, I got a little bigger, but nothing else changed.

I spent two weeks in recluse, moping around my apartment and living off of the stash of pickles and steamed buns from my refrigerator.

Everyone was wondering why I still didn't find a nice girl to settle down with. In Konoha, everyone married around the age of sixteen. I was single and not looking, through the sickly romantic age of fourteen, to the wedding filled age of sixteen. I attended everyone's weddings, showers, and became the godfather a few times. People was very helpful, constantly trying to "relieve" me of my "solitude". Haruno Sakura tried to set me up with her rosey cheeked cousin Kodoya, Gai sensei introduced me to his thick-browed niece. Kakashi sensei was ever so helpful when he whispered if I wanted a few nice young men instead. I laughed them all off, and spent my free time getting baked brown on my roof, or playing shougi with the shriveled old men in Hokage-sama's courtyard.

I was in no hurry to produce an heir to the Nara clan, Dad had two brothers and a sister, and their children were like any other eager young ninja, marrying and procreating like there was no tomorrow. Though, mom occasionally nagged about my singleness.

"You're a handsome lad with an impressive record and family," her words were always the same. "Surely you can find a handsome lass with decent abilities and a nice family that would settle for you."

"I'm not going to go after anyone when I don't see anyone that I want." My replies, of course, were like answer machine. "When I see her, I will make her mine."

I guess I met her on that ridiculously hot day, when the roof nearly roasted me to a crisp. The old men were all hanging in a heat-induced stupor, and I was bored and sun-burned. Hyuga Hinata made the best medicine, but her house was across the village, and I was of course, way too lazy. Reluctantly, I made my way into the village center, knowing that I had to pass Ino's shop. Knowing her, she would probably knock me down in the streets with her embrace.

"Shikamaru-kun!" Her voice carried over the buzz of conversations in the busy street. I squared my shoulders, and walked into the cool shade of her flower shop. It felt so much better in the dark, soft shadows embracing me like a gentle friend.

"What brings you here, among the living?" Her face was rosy and smiling, but scrubbed clean of her usual coat of makeup. I was taken aback that she wore a modest linen shirt as opposed to the little getup she usually donned.

"I can't come visit an old friend without her laughing at me?" I relaxed, feeling my old slouch returning to me. Ino was the kind of woman that went after whatever she wanted until it was hers, but I guess she was growing up some. Maybe she found a more responsive young man to romance, or perhaps some of the dunderheads around the village finally opened their eyes and saw this lonesome beauty that somehow eluded their sight.

"Then it's good that you came, because I'm on my way off to mission with a few of the younger chuunins to protect a merchant in the Water Country." She winked at me, "I'm going to buy you something nice for your eighteenth birthday at that famous Floating Festival! Or maybe I'll find you a nice girl."

I groaned loudly, "Ino—please, as if the whole village isn't fixated on my singleness already. I don't think me dying a virgin would cause the village population to drop…" Trailing off, I realized that I've definitely said too much.

"Virgin?" Her eyes were wide with surprise, then those dark blue orbs were spilling over as she howled with laughter.

I stood for a whole two minutes in embarrassed silence as Ino clutched her stomach and cackled. My face burned a little as I shifted my weight from my left foot to my right, irked at the fact that I'm the cause of my own mortification.

"Hello?" A new voice interrupted Ino's laughter, and we both turned to see a slender woman standing in the doorway.

Ino started toward her, greeting the newcomer sweetly like a well oiled machine. But I stared. She was like a goddess that came to walk among the mortals, the sun at her back engulfed her frame as if she shone with golden glow. I was sure that she did glow a bit, those soft doe eyes were gentle like cool water from a cool spring. Her black hair spilled all over her narrow shoulders like rivulets of ink…

"…you see how he turns to stone Megumi? He's probably writing up some mental poetry about you right this second…" Ino's voice drifted into my ears as I sort of woke up.

My tongue was tied up into a messy ball of knots.

"Shikamaru-kun, this is my cousin Yamanaka Megumi, who will be watching over my shop while I'm away." Into winked at me, a hand resting on my shoulder. "Look after her, she's a bit of a weakling."

"Oh Ino, don't rub it in! If I wasn't born with a weak chakra coil system, I'd be a ninja too!"

"It's ok," I assured her, finally able to speak, "I don't care."

Her smile swept subtly across her small face, "I've heard much about you, Shikamaru-kun."

"Then you already know that I'm a boring person that play shougi with old men, and get sunburned on his roof," I gave her a half-smile.

"And he doesn't seem to like girls," Ino added from the side, "we think he's gay."

Slightly flustered, I asked her, "Aren't you late for something?"

Ino laughed, and shouldered a small pack my the door, exiting while waving at us over her shoulder.

tbc!