ARRRRRRR! Something you all might not know about me is I hate planning events! I get anxiety from it. So planning a wedding is not fun! It also wasn't my idea. I was berated into it by family and future family-in-law… remind me to disown them all.

Now that I have had my little rant on to the chapter. Blame my family for how long it took.

He had woken up before Naruto and had rose as quietly as he could, not wanting to wake the blonde. She even slept unusually. Her feet had made their way onto Shikamaru's lap, making it hard for him to get up. One arm was under her head, squishing her cheek and giving her mouth an odd shape. Drool trickled out of her mouth, pooling on the couch, and her other arm hung off the lounge, her fingers skimming the floor. Her blonde hair was as messy as ever but without her forehead protector her hair looked longer and had a more feminine look. Gently, Shikamaru lifted Naruto's legs, scooting out from under them before lowering them back onto the couch.

With a small smile, Shikamaru reached out and brushed his fingers over Naruto's cheek. He felt as well as heard Naruto release a deep sigh.

"Shikamaru…"

"Sorry to wake you," he said, crouching down so that he was at the blonde's level. "I have to get going, but go back to sleep."

"Shikamaru… Temari…" Naruto gave a groan, burying her face in the couch cushion.

Before he could think of something to say Naruto's breaths evened out, her back to Shikamaru. With one last smile at the blonde he gathered up his vest and shoes and snuck out of the apartment, not wanting to wake Naruto again. He put his shoes and vest on in the hall and made his way out of the building. As he walked through the floor under Naruto's to get to the main flight of stairs a woman opened her door and looked out at Shikamaru with distain. She was wearing her slippers and dressing gown, her eyes crusted with sleep.

He was more than willing to simply walk passed the woman but he heard her grumble to herself. "How disgusting!"

Stopping, he turned back to the old lady who continued to glare at him. It only took his brain a moment to realise they were under Naruto's apartment, meaning the woman was probably Mrs Huruma. "What is your problem?"

"That thing shouldn't have friends. And it shouldn't have overnight guests! What would your parents think?" Mrs Huruma pulled her gown tighter, as though to make as much space between the two as possible.

In the painted glass that hung next to the door Shikamaru could see his reflection. His shirt was a mess and his hair was in disarray. It was obvious what this woman thought Shikamaru had been doing in Naruto's apartment, something that made him blush red for two reasons.

"My parents taught me to judge a person on their behaviour, and nothing else. And Naruto deserves friends more than anyone else, you old hag! If you think otherwise than you don't know what a great person Naruto is. He is the kindest, most loving person I have ever met and does not deserve to be treated the way you treat him. So stay out of mine and Naruto's business."

He gave the woman his hardest glare, the one he reserved for enemy he knew he would have to kill, before stalking off down the hallway. It wasn't until he was on the bottom floor that he fixed his hair, not wanting Temari to get the same idea as the old lady had. He knew from past experience that Temari liked to leave the village early in the morning. As her escort he knew he should see her to the gate but he was enjoying just sitting in Naruto's house. The blonde appeared unaffected by his presence.

Temari gave him a smirk when she saw him, easily falling into step with him to the gate. Her eyes travelled over his form in a way that made him uncomfortable.

"It looks like you slept well." Her smirk grew.

"I guess."

"Did you wake Naruto up before you left?"

Shikamaru choked on his own saliva. "What are you talking about?"

With a raised eyebrow, Temari laughed at him. "I can tell that they are the clothing you wore yesterday. Even if you wear the same uniform each day I can tell the difference. I live with two brothers who like to sleep in their clothing. So you and Naruto obviously… worked things out. Hopefully a lot."

"It's not like that!" Shikamaru yelped, turning red and looking around to make sure no one had overheard the blonde. Luckily most people were still asleep. "I helped Naruto clean his apartment and then we both fell asleep on the couch. Nothing else. And you call me a pervert."

"You are a pervert. You were staring at his ass. His ass is a little girly for my taste but to each their own."

Shikamaru quickly changed the conversation to Temari's journey home once the gates came into view. The two Chunins on guard were two of the biggest gossips in the village, though he knew those two males wouldn't judge him on his taste.

After waving Temari off Shikamaru rubbed his eyes and made his way home to take a shower and change into some fresh clothing. His father was awake when he walked inside. For a moment he expected the same look he received off Temari and the gate guards but instead his father simply gave him a small, raised eyebrow.

"How is Naruto?"

"Good. Probably still sleeping." Shikamaru scratched at his neck, wondering what was coming next.

"You have dirt on your face. Was Naruto's house that dirty?" Shikaku turned back to the paper in his hands.

"Yeah. He didn't get anyone to look after his place while he was gone."

"Hmm. He should have realised he could have asked you."

Shikamaru stopped, thinking over his father's words. "He probably thought it would be a bother for whoever he asked. But he's back now. And I'm going to go shower."

It took him all day to finish all the paperwork for the Chunin exam, finalise the schedule and organise the times with the academy exam room and the hotels. Once finished with all the details, Shikamaru entered Lady Tsunade's office to have her look over the paperwork. He hadn't had the chance to see Naruto, but figured she was already on her first mission since returning. The Hokage was clearly agitated. She had an unopened bottle of sakẻ sitting on her desk and was in the middle of a staring contest with the lid. She had no cup ready, which heightened Shikamaru's anxiety.

"Lady Tsunade, is there anything I can help with?"

The woman raised her eyes slowly to Shikamaru's face, her hand twitching towards the bottle, as though his presence made it worse. He walked forward, putting the form on the desk and standing back, his hands in his pockets. Waiting. Finally, Lady Tsunade sighed, her eyes going back to the sakẻ.

"Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura can handle any situation? They are a skilled team?" Although the words were a statement, the blonde shot Shikamaru worried looks, letting him know that they were truly questions.

"Of course." His heart started beating in his throat, making the words tight.

"So if… one on the team was a person of interest for the enemy, I would still have nothing to worry about?"

"Lady Tsunade, what's going on?" Shikamaru sat down, showing that he was not going to leave.

The woman played with the cork on her bottle, not meeting the Chunin's eye.

"Do you know much about Naruto's past?"

"Do you mean how the Fourth Hokage stuck the Nine-Tails into Naruto on the day he was born, after the monster killed Naruto's parents? If so, quite a lot."

His bluntness must have shocked the Hokage, since she jerked and looked up sharply enough that she knocked over her bottle of sakẻ. It rolled on the table's surface until it was straightened.

"Naruto actually told you? I knew you two were close but…" Lady Tsunade trailed off, her eyes still wide, making her look younger than she looked. Shikamaru could almost picture the little girl she once was.

"No, I worked it out based on things the villagers had said, things that had happened, and things Naruto had said to me. My father clarified my suspicions and informed me that it was classified. I haven't told anyone. Naruto isn't even aware that I know." Shikamaru spoke calmly, even though every nerve in his body thumped in fear of where the conversation was leading to.

"Did you know before you went to retrieve Sasuke?" Lady Tsunade made it a point of staring at the bottle sitting on her desk, avoiding Shikamaru.

"Yes. I worked it out the day I became a Chunin. Now are you going to tell me who is after Naruto or are you going to down the bottle of sakẻ?"

Lady Tsunade sighed. "We received word that the Kazekage was kidnapped by a group called the Akatsuki. They are targeting Jinchuriki."

"Naruto," Shikamaru clarified. "They are targeting Naruto, and Gaara."

"Yes. And I sent Naruto's team to retrieve Gaara from the enemy, hopefully before they have a chance to finish whatever plan they have set for the jin… boy."

"And if Team Seven fails this mission than you have handed one of their targets to them." Shikamaru leant forward, putting his elbows on his knees and taking deep breaths. His blood moved thickly through his veins and his vision blurred. Think logically. Think logically, damn it! "You sent a backup team, right?"

"No. There is no team available. Naruto's team won't reach Suna for at least another day. A team should be available by that time but they won't reach Team Seven until it's too late."

"They don't need to reach Suna. Have Kakashi-Sensei send word to us where the enemy is taking Gaara once they know, or at least as close a destination as possible. It's possible that the Akatsuki's location is between Suna and the Leaf, meaning the backup team's travel time will be halved. Hopefully, Suna will be able to provide a powerful team to go with Naruto's. But no matter what happens you will be keeping me informed on what happens with this mission." Shikamaru's harsh tone made Lady Tsunade's eyes narrow.

"You really think you can demand things off of me?"

Shikamaru met the Hokage's hard stare with one of his own. "When it comes to my… friend being sent on a mission against an enemy targeting him and that are powerful enough to kidnap a Kage than yes, I get to make demands."

For a moment it looked as though Lady Tsunade was going to argue with him but her face softened and a small smile graced her features. "I'm glad you care about Naruto so deeply even with his… guest."

Shaking his head, Shikamaru sighed. "I don't lo… care about Naruto in spite of the Nine-Tails. Being host to the Nine-Tails has caused Naruto to suffer and he's grown to cherish those who are there for him and to work hard to make sure that no one has to suffer like him. He is someone worth caring about and the Nine-Tails is a part of him. A part of him that has caused him pain but a part nonetheless."

"I'm glad Naruto has you," Lady Tsunade concluded. "I'll keep you informed of the mission." She opened the file that Shikamaru had handed her, clearing signalling for him to leave as she put away her bottle of alcohol, unopened.

Lady Tsunade sent word the next day that she was sending Team Guy to back up Team Kakashi and that she had followed his advice. Once Gaara's location was discovered Kakashi-Sensei was going to send word to the approaching team. Truthfully Team Guy was definitely the best option, seeing as they had the fastest team in the entire village, with two Jonin members as well. The only problem was that Lady Tsunade wouldn't tell Shikamaru why she had suddenly and so desperately sent a second team, and had given Guy-Sensei orders to push his team to get to Team Kakashi as fast as they could. The more distressed the Hokage became the more Shikamaru worried that there was information she was keeping from him.

To try and calm his nerves he met Choji for lunch, since the bigger Chunin had just returned from a mission. He gave Shikamaru a look before offering to pay for lunch and they could go wherever the dark haired man wanted to go. Without thinking Shikamaru instantly said Ichiroku Ramen. The moment he smelt the scents coming from the stall he felt his shoulders ease, and the sickly, empty clenching of his stomach lessened. With each deep breath he took he relaxed more and more. His knee still bounced violently when he had seated himself.

"What's wrong, Shikamaru?" Choji asked when their bowls of noodles were put in front of them. Instead of digging in Choji was turned towards his friend.

"A team is on a dangerous mission and one of the members should not be on the mission at all, but he is."

Choji frowned. "Is he injured or underqualified?"

"No…" Shikamaru started, slowing eating his noodles. "It's classified."

It was true that it was still classified and no one was allowed to tell anyone. However, Shikamaru's silence came from another area he was ashamed of. He loved Naruto and he knew what type of person she was. She would kill herself and in the process the Nine-Tails before letting it cause pain to anyone in the village. There was no negative taint of his image of her from learning that she had the Nine-Tails in her. Although he trusted Choji with his life, he wasn't so sure he trusted him with Naruto's secret. Shikamaru wouldn't have predicted that his own mother would be so hateful of Naruto and yet she was. It was difficult for him to know how Choji would react.

"I'm sure they will be fine," Shikamaru concluded, making Choji turn to his cooling bowl of noodles with a doubtful look on his face.

/ / / / /

Four days. It took four days for them to get word on how the mission had gone. The Sand had sent the message as soon as they themselves knew. Kankuro was still recovering from poisoning, but would survive thanks to Sakura, Kakashi-Sensei had severe chakra depletion, two Akatsuki members were defeated, one by Sakura and a Sand ninja named Lady Chiyo, who took down Sasori the Puppet Master, and the other by Naruto and Kakashi-Sensei who took down someone named Deidara. Naruto was fine, and Gaara was alive, though the One-Tails had been extracted from his body. That part confused Shikamaru. When Naruto left Shikamaru had done research into Jinchuriki and had discovered that it was impossible to remove the Tailed Beast without killing the host. Shikamaru decided he just had to ask Naruto for the details. The main thing was that both Gaara and Naruto were alive, they had dealt a blow to their enemy and they knew what they wanted with the Jinchuriki. They wanted to remove the Tailed Beasts, though for what purpose was still a mystery unfortunately.

When Lady Tsunade had said the words One-Tails to Shikamaru he had paused before asking how many Tailed Beasts there were.

"Nine. The One-Tails, Shukaku, is often referred to as the ultimate shield. It has the strongest defensive abilities." Lady Tsunade met him with an unwavering gaze, daring him to ask his next question.

"And the ultimate weapon?" He swallowed around the lump in his throat.

"The Nine-Tails."

Possibilities entered his mind. They weren't certain how many Akatsuki members there were but he could still think of scenarios for their plans. "Is it possible that they are extracting the Tailed Beasts to put them into Akatsuki members?"

Lady Tsunade sat back, thinking over the question. "It's possible, though it would be stupid." At the raised eyebrow she received she elaborated. "Not everyone can carry a Beast inside them safely. The Eight-Tails reportedly rejected over a dozen hosts before a strong enough host was found. The Beasts don't want to be caged inside someone. They are always trying to get out. The seal that holds them has to be strong and the host themselves has to be powerful."

"Why was Naruto chosen so young? There was no proof that he was going to turn out so powerful the day he was born… was there?" Shikamaru wasn't even sure it was possible to measure someone's chakra when they were so young.

"He was chosen because he is an Uzumaki. Perhaps the last too. When Naruto grows too old to continue the Nine-Tails will have to be passed onto his child or grandchild."

Shikamaru scratched his reddening cheek at this, shifting in his seat. He wondered if Naruto knew this need for her to have offspring. If Naruto was a male than that would be an issue, since the blonde was only attracted to males. The Hokage either didn't notice Shikamaru's discomfort or ignored it for she continued.

" The Uzumaki clan are the only known clan that can hold the Nine-Tails. They were known for their sealing ability and their strong life forces. They predominantly have long life spans so they are ideal for holding Tailed Beasts. They can live well into their hundreds without weakening like a normal person. My grandmother was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki at one point. Does this satisfy your curiosity, Shikamaru? The Akatsuki have clearly been studying the Jinchuriki so they would know that not everyone can hold the Beasts. Even if the Akatsuki members are arrogant it would be foolish of them to take the Nine-Tails and put it into anyone but an Uzumaki. So…"

"So either they have an Uzumaki in their team or they are planning something else with the Tailed Beasts," Shikamaru finished. After a moment of pondering he stood. "Thank you for being honest with me, Lady Tsunade."

"You are the only one of Naruto's friends that I will tell this too. When it comes out that Naruto is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and it will come out with this enemy at the door, I trust you to stand by him, even if everyone else doesn't. If I didn't think you would I would have kicked you out of my office long ago."

With a nod Shikamaru left the office, having a task at the academy to fulfil. He had promised Iruka-Sensei that he would give a lesson. The entire walk to the school was filled with thoughts of Akatsuki and the information on Jinchuriki that filled Shikamaru's mind. He knew that the Uzumaki Clan had been wiped out long ago, though it was possible that more than Naruto survived. If so, that meant there was a high possibility that Naruto's parent was the Jinchuriki before Naruto. However, her last name was Uzumaki, so that would mean it was her father. But Shikamaru couldn't remove the nagging feeling as he looked up at the Fourth Hokage's stony monument that that wasn't true. Naruto wasn't just an Uzumaki…

"Troublesome, blonde. You always leave me with more questions than answers," Shikamaru muttered before dragging a hand over his face with a groan.

Hope you like. R and R.