Shikaku's POV

When he returned from his mission he had expected to find his son at home, or at least somewhere in the village but his wife informed him that Shikamaru had not returned. It wasn't the boy's first overnight mission, so he didn't feel the need to worry. That was, until he went to the Hokage's office to report in. She was ordering the first and second medical relief squads to find Shikamaru's team and bring them back to the village. It took him twenty minutes and raising his voice to gain their attention before Shizune informed him of what was happening with his son. They had been gone for two days, which, given that it was a retrieval mission, was not a good sign. Shizune had accidentally let slip that whilst on a mission herself her two teammates had engaged the enemy and were now hospitalised. Hearing that made him feel as though he had swallowed a boulder the size of Choza.

The moment he heard that the boys had been found he went to the hospital to see how his son was. He made sure to also find out about Choji, since Choza was still on a mission and wasn't due back for a number of hours. It was relieving to find out that Shikamaru had only broken a finger but two of the other boys were not so lucky, including Choji. They went to Choji's room but were not allowed to enter. Instead Shikaku made sure that the Nara's medical book was given to the Hokage as fast as possible.

They waited anxiously for information, on Choji and Neji, on how Kiba and Lee were, and lastly, whether or not Naruto was safe. The blond was still out of the village, from what the boy from the Sand had said, fighting Sasuke. They eventually received good news about Kiba and Lee and Shikaku could see the tension leave Shikamaru's body just a little, until the nurse told them that Naruto had yet to return. The younger Nara's shoulders tightened worse than before, his face sunken. The only thing Shikaku could think to say was that when Kakashi found Naruto he was bound to send word back to the village. He chose not to add that Kakashi was more likely to do so if there was risk of the seal breaking. When they did receive word it was not good. Kakashi had sent one of his ninja hounds, Pakkun, to inform them that they needed to get medics ready since Naruto was dead.

Anyone who knew anything about jinchuriki knew that Naruto might come back from such a thing. If the Nine-Tails risked dying along with Naruto than it would do everything it could to keep him alive. However, if it could escape it would. He turned to tell Shikamaru that there was a chance that the thing inside Naruto might save the boy but he stopped.

Parenting was a balancing act, and at that moment Shikaku felt as though he was wobbling dangerously. When his son graduated from the academy he had known that he had to stop protecting Shikamaru from everything. With some things it was alright for Shikaku to hide Shikamaru behind him, guard him, such as how brutally the villagers treated Naruto when they were younger. However, with other things, things that ninjas often encountered, Shikaku knew he was not able to protect him from. Looking at his son now though, he wished he could still protect Shikamaru from the pains of a ninja.

He knew the first loss close to Shikamaru was going to hurt more than most others but the way he reacted was more than Shikaku had expected. The boy looked broken, lost. His face was pale, drawn, his eyes wide, and his mouth open. Shikamaru started to shake, stumbling back. If given the option he had no doubt that Shikamaru would trade his life for Naruto's. It pained him to look at his son as he pulled at his hair, gasping for breaths through his tears. He looked…

Oh!

Shikaku's mind went blank as he processed what should have been so clear to him. There had been signs for months, perhaps even longer. Shikamaru talked about Naruto more than he realised. The 'hypothetical' question of how Shikaku would react if his son had a crush on Naruto. The way Shikamaru had carried the blonde so carefully to the hospital after the invasion and… just the other day. His reaction to discovering Naruto was a Jinchuriki had not been what Shikaku had expected. He had been offended and angry for Naruto. He was disgusted that someone would do that to someone he loved!

His son was in love. His son was in love with someone who might be dead. Someone who might have died on Shikamaru's first mission as leader. Walking over to his son he sat down, wrapping his arms around Shikamaru's shoulders tightly, ignoring his stiff posture. Shikaku's eyes become damp as he realised that this was one thing he could not prevent. He could not protect Shikamaru from his pain.

My boy is heartbroken!

He tried to comfort him but all words felt stale in his mouth. Nothing was right. He wished Yoshino was there. She was good at comforting people. It was one of the things that had brought them together. Eventually he had to pull himself away, apologising to his son. He had told a nurse to send out for a medical team and a sealing team but he would have to give them orders. He met them in one of the offices on the upper level of the hospital.

"You are to meet up with Kakashi and provide immediate medical attention, unless Kakashi says otherwise. Sealing team, you are to be on alert the moment you leave this building. However, you will follow Kakashi's orders. The ninja that is injured is Naruto Uzumaki."

That name instantly caused a change in the seven people standing before him. Their faces darkened, some of them sneering. In retaliation Shikaku squared his shoulders, narrowing his eyes. He had a godson on his deathbed and a son who was grieving over the very person they hated. He did not have time for prejudice.

"Listen to me closely, every one of you! Naruto Uzumaki is a ninja, a comrade, one who could very well have died trying to save a teammate. You will respect a ninja who is as dedicated to the village and their team as that child is. He is the reason we are not in danger of the Nine-Tails. When I order you to go find him you will do everything you can to save his life and if you can't save him, if the Nine-Tails breaks free, either because Naruto has died or because Naruto has lost his strength, you will show him respect in death. You will all attend his funeral and you will not say a single disrespecting comment. The Leaf ninja stand together and he wears a forehead protector like the rest of us, he fought to save the village during the invasion even when he had every reason to turn on us. Am I clear or do you want me to repeat myself?" He looked into the eyes of every ninja before him, one at a time. He could see that his words were having some impact. Their hateful expressions were morphing into ones of guilt and shame before they all stood straighter.

"No, sir," they chorused before he dismissed them, telling them to hurry.

He gave himself a moment to sigh, feeling the relief of finally speaking the words he had longed to say for years. Though, they had become more powerful with the added information of Naruto's status. After that he readied himself for the image of his son, completely distraught. He would have preferred if Shikamaru was crying, but instead he was still. Shikaku had to put his hand on the boy just to feel the painful breaths being drawn in. Shikamaru, by all appearances, was the most tragic statue Shikaku had ever seen. He looked like a mix between a child lost and an adult who had given up on life. His eyes were blank, his face wet, his mouth tight, and there was the small glisten of unshed tears in the corners of his eyes. It was hard to tell what kind of news those tears were waiting for.

When the red haired boy from the Sand informed them that Naruto was alive Shikaku could have hugged him. He would have if he wasn't so sure that Gaara's sand would stop him. Again he had to leave his son though, to do his job, but this time he didn't feel so guilty, didn't wish so heavily that his wife was there to take his place. It was going to be a long day though; that was something that was clear.

/ / / / / /

No one had died. It was the best they could have hoped for and somehow it was true. All six boys were alive and stable. Some would need longer to rest than others but that hardly mattered given the alternative. He had demanded a report on Naruto as soon as they were able but he was met with some issues. Apparently the Third had ordered only certain medics to heal Naruto. He had asked the medic who had told him of the arrangement if they knew anything about sealing jutsus or jinchuriki but he was informed that they didn't. He only had to look at the reports on them to realise that all six that had been hand selected were either old enough to have been close to the Third or were from other villages and had moved to the Leaf village after the Nine-Tails attack. Obviously all six lacked prejudice towards Naruto and would therefore do their duty to save the boy's life and stop anyone from causing him more harm in his weakened state. He tracked down the three that were working as they exited a room. He assumed it was Naruto's.

"I need a report on Naruto's condition. Shizune informed me that he is stable but is there any chance of a relapse? Should I be stationing a sealing team outside?"

A woman who could not have been more than eighteen gave him a kind smile, letting the other two medics leave. She walked closer to Shikaku, pulling him off to one side of the corridor. "Naruto will need time to heal, perhaps more time than he's ever needed before but he will be fine. He was conscious when he came in, which is a good sign but the Nine-Tails was still repairing his body. We had a sealing team outside only moments ago, as a precaution."

"What was the extent of his injuries?"

She sighed heavily. "Well, the Nine-Tails took care of any of the life threatening stuff but we know what to look for when it comes to Naruto. A lot of his bones were broken or even shattered, his skin was burnt, numerous cuts as well. The bones have healed but a lot of the flesh damage hasn't. Obviously it wasn't a priority. But… there's something else."

"What?" At the girl's hesitation he wondered what horrible thing the Uchiha boy could have done.

"There was extensive damage to internal organs, mainly the heart. We asked Naruto about what had happened to him and he told us that Uchiha hit him with a chidori. From his jacket and the damage it looks like he was hit on his right side, under his collarbone. It was straight through and would have killed anyone else. It looks like it clipped the top of his heart, which is probably one of the reasons Naruto wasn't breathing when Kakashi found him. The Nine-Tails repaired his heart but is still working on the electrical damage that occurred when the chidori entered his body."

Shikaku thought over the information given to him before asking something he had always been curious of. "Will the Nine-Tails stop healing Naruto once he can manage on his own or will the beast see to it that Naruto returns to health as quickly as possible?"

"The Nine-Tails has always ensured that Naruto heals as quickly as possible. I think Naruto gets a little spoilt by him at times. Naruto has no patients for healing because he's never really needed to be." The medic chuckled a little. "Please excuse me. I have to report to Lady Tsunade on Naruto's condition. She likes an individual report from all of us."

It was as the young woman walked off that something occurred to him. Sasuke Uchiha was seen as the village's golden boy, whilst Naruto Uzumaki was seen as the village's menace. When referring to the first boy people mainly said "Sasuke Uchiha" whilst Naruto was referred to as "that Uzumaki kid" or even just "that kid" as though the venom in their voice made who they were talking about clear. But Naruto's medic hadn't. She had addressed Naruto by name and Sasuke by last name. Her voice had shaken just a little at the word Uchiha, as though his name held venom to her. What's more is: she never referred to the Nine-Tails as anything less than its, or more, his title. She showed him the same respect she held for Naruto. Apparently the Third Hokage had selected appropriately.

Having had his questions answered he decided to return to Choji's room to see if he would be able to visit him. He made sure to stop by the sealing team to inform them that they wouldn't be needed any more. He found that visitors were still not allowed in Choji's room but Choza had returned from his mission and was sitting calmly on one of the bench seats. If he didn't know the big man so well he would think he wasn't fazed by his son having nearly died. However, he could see the bags under his eyes; the way his small smile dipped every few seconds and how his eyes darted to the door separating him and his son.

Shikaku sat down next to his friend, trying to think of what to say. He felt almost as lost as when he was trying to comfort Shikamaru. He needn't have worried however, since Choza was the one best at comforting words.

"Ino was here. She was very concerned about Choji. I'm glad he has such supporting teammates. How is Shikamaru?"

"He's fine. He has a broken finger. I think he is mainly feeling guilty over the fact that his team members are all more injured than he is."

"It's good to hear that he is safe. Shikamaru will be able to come back from this mission, and he will be a better person for it." Choza rested back against the wall, looking at the door longingly.

Shikaku could only imagine how his friend must be feeling, not knowing just how bad his son was. The medics would have given him all the information they had but only an Akamichi can truly understand the effects of the food pills they have. The Nara sighed.

"I do not know if I should keep Shikamaru in my shadow to protect him or push him out to let him grow. It's a conflicting feeling: seeing him as a ninja and my little boy. Part of me thinks I do not even know him. I only found out today that he's in love. I do not know how I missed that. I don't even know how long he's harboured those feelings."

"Who does he love?"

"I'm not telling you that. It will be around the entire village in an hour."

"Give me some credit. Half an hour." Choza smiled. He was holding up well. "I know what you mean, having to find a balance between being a father and being a comrade. I do not envy Inoichi. I don't know how I'd handle a daughter. After our kids ended up on the same team he told me that he was dreading the day Ino told him she was in love with one of our boys. Is it Ino that Shikamaru is in love with?"

Shikaku chuckled. "No, Ino is clearly not Shikamaru's type. I was surprised that Shikamaru had feelings for… this person. I didn't know they were his type."

"It's a boy, isn't it?"

"What? No!"

"You avoided gender pronouns and Ino is clearly not his type." Choza laughed as Shikaku sighed."Is it Choji?"

"It's not Choji."

"Can't you tell me?" When he received no answer he pouted. "My son is in the hospital."

"So is mine."

"Yours is visiting teammates."

"He's still in the hospital."

The two of them looked at each other before bursting into laughter. By the time the two of them calmed down Choza was wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, grinning.

"So will your brother's son become the next heir?" At Shikaku's confused expression Choza clarified. "Well, if Shikamaru isn't going to produce an heir…"

A horrified look crossed Shikaku's face. "Can we not talk about my son's future at the moment? At least not that type of future. He's thirteen!"

"You sure it's not Choji?"

Shikaku looked over; ready to assure him that his son was not in love with the bigger man's son, only to notice that he was trying not to laugh. "Troublesome."

When the door finally opened to allow visitors in Shikaku went in a step behind his friend, standing by the door. He watched as Choza sat heavily in a chair beside Choji's bed, placing his large hand over the boy's skinny one. Choji didn't look as bad as Shikaku had been picturing. Satisfied with the knowledge that his godson was going to be fine he gave Choza a nod. As he left the room Choza kissed his son's head, whispering into his hair.

He decided he should try and locate his son so that they could return home. Yoshino would be worried. The news about the mission would have travelled through the village by now. It was hardly top secret and they had sent out three medical teams and a sealing team. On top of that Sand ninja had been called in for the mission. There was no doubt in his mind that there were at least half a dozen versions of the mission's results circulating. One of those tales was bound to say that Shikamaru had died. Shikaku had been so focused on his son that he had neglected to inform his wife of Shikamaru's continued survival.

Having no idea where Shikamaru was Shikaku had to ask people he passed. It wasn't hard for him to describe his son. All he had to say was a younger, unscarred version of him and people could easily picture Shikamaru. Yoshino often commented that the Nara blood was so strong that she couldn't see any of herself in Shikamaru. Shikaku had worried when she first said that, but she had simply been pointing out how similar father and son were. One medic was able to tell him that a boy fitting that description had walked into his patient's room around two hours ago.

"Who's your patient?" Shikaku asked, though he was fairly certain he could narrow down the list to three possibilities.

"Naruto. If Naruto's hungry can you send someone to get me? I promised the kid I'd go for a ramen run. My name is Eiji." He grinned, scratching the back of his head. "That's what I get for challenging that kid to an eating contest."

Again, there was a medic who referred to Naruto by name and actually cared about his well being. This one even connected with the child in more than a professional manner. Shikaku had wondered why Naruto hadn't abandoned the village. The invasion would have offered the perfect opportunity for Naruto to leave. The Sand would have loved to have another Tailed Beast on their side, especially given how talented Naruto was proving to be. Instead the blond had fought hard to help the village. The same village that was full of people who had hurt him, ridiculed him and refused to allow him to have more than the minimum basic necessities of life. It had baffled Shikaku. Now he was beginning to understand. Jinchuriki took on one or two animalistic traits. They were very minimal that often people didn't notice but he had met three holders of the Nine-Tails and had even been able to watch two grow. Naruto and the holder before him had both been mistreated by the villagers and had reacted aggressively, one by fighting and the other pranks. However, Kushina had calmed dramatically once she had those in her life that she loved. Shikaku had started to see Naruto calm as well. He had first thought that Kakashi was keeping the boy in line but he was starting to revaluate those thoughts.

Opening the door to Naruto's room he was certain that he needed to rethink his original assumption. Naruto wasn't settled because Kakashi was making him, he was settled because he had those who cared about him and he cared about them in return. Naruto was becoming territorial because the village was his home. Taking in the sight before him proved that.

Scoffing in disgust he stalked into the room. Shikamaru was sleeping on the hospital bed, Naruto lying against his side, the blonde's head resting on Shikamaru's chest. The Chunin's vest was discarded on the ground, sitting on top of a tattered orange and black mass. There was no doubt in Shikaku's mind that the two would be exhausted but the sight still disgusted him.

I thought I raised him better. He knows to never wear shoes on a bed! Walking up to the bed he took his son's shoes off of his sleeping form like he used to do when Shikamaru was younger. It was a pet peeve of his. Shoes were not meant to be worn whilst lying on a bed. He put Shikamaru's shoes under the visitor's chair, putting his vest on the seat. He then retrieved the spare blanket from the cupboard. At least Shikamaru hadn't been under the blankets with his shoes on. Draping the spare blanket over his son Shikaku debated over waking the boy up or not. It would be better for him to bring Shikamaru home to assure Yoshino of his safety but at the same time the boy was obviously tired. Shikaku stood over the two, hoping Shikamaru would wake up so he didn't have to make a decision. One thing he knew was that he was not telling his wife what he had discovered. She still had a way to go before she was over her prejudice.

"Troublesome."

Shikamaru isn't very good at keeping his secret!

I thought about not posting this chapter but I received multiple reviews about nurses and the chidori so I figured I should. It was made harder by the fact that my new kitty is jealous of my laptop and often comes over to lie in my lap, making sure to lie across my arms.

R and R.