SHADE: I have to ask, are you in my house under an invisibility cloak or something? I actually had a scene written where Tsunade was the one to wake Sakura up before I decided it would have more impact if it was Naruto herself who did it. Aaaand that's just one of the things your review got right or pretty friggen close…. You're not my cat, are you?

Sooo, unfortunately some hard times for Shikamaru and Naruto are on their way. You've been warned.

Every cell in his body screamed at him to punch Kakashi-Sensei repeatedly until he had made wine from his corpse. However, every cell also screamed something else, much louder, and that was to ensure Naruto's safety above all else. When he had seen her running he had felt his heart drop. For a moment he wondered if the village had turned on her. The appearance of Kakashi-Sensei and Captain Yamato running after her just made more questions.

Naruto's screaming was heartbreaking. But Shikamaru couldn't help but notice a select few witnesses ushering others away. One tried to do so with him but he gave them a hard look.

"I'm not leaving Naruto!" he snapped, pushing past the man to get to the blonde.

Unfortunately he had no idea on how to help her. Varric did though. It reminded Shikamaru painfully that there were things in Naruto's life that he would never be privileged too whilst Varric was. However, when the man had calmed Naruto's screams he had turned to Shikamaru to be the comforting hand. He brushed his surprise off in favour of seeing to Naruto. He had walked her to the estate in silence. He led her to his room, although she had taken to sleeping in her own bed recently. She instantly dropped onto the bed, lying down. Sitting down, he put her head in his lap, running his fingers through her hair to sooth her.

"What do you need?" he asked softly, looking down at Naruto.

"For everything to stop!" Naruto muttered. "Everyone keeps asking too much off me. I have no more to give and I can't breathe."

"Then stop giving," he replied, continuing to run his fingers through her hair.

"I'm not going to be selfish. People will hate me."

"No they won't. Everyone does things for themselves at times. We need to in order to keep functioning. Ones a month mum, Aunt Momiji, and Aunt Aiko go to the spa. Do you class them as selfish? Coming up to her wedding Airi gave her Clan duties to someone else so she could focus on the planning. Do you see her as selfish?"

"No, they deserved the time off."

"Then why do you think you don't when you need it?"

Naruto looked surprised and confused at his words. He forced himself to not cheer at the realisation that something he had said had gotten through to Naruto. She lay silently in his lap. Shikamaru desperately wished he knew what was going through her mind. This was more than wanting Naruto to get to a point that he could tell her how he felt without fear of her accepting his affections. He wanted Naruto to get better, to feel respected, loved, and safe, even if she didn't want to be with him.

It was hard to ignore the physical effects Naruto's state was causing. She was usually bright and vibrant but slowly her energy had been leaving her. Her hair had become limp and dry, her eyes had lost their usual spark, her skin had paled, and every movement, every breath appeared to take more effort. The clothing that she owned before Pain's attack was sitting looser on her frame, something that was causing concern throughout the estate. He often saw his clansmen encouraging Naruto to have lunch with them, or to eat a snack or two. Shikamaru just hoped that in time Naruto would see that her suffering was hurting others, and that they all just wanted her to get better so she would be her usual happy self. Except Shikamaru was starting to wonder if Naruto had ever truly been happy. He wanted to believe that she had but couldn't stop the doubt that crawled into his mind.

"Shikamaru," Naruto spoke softly, staring at the far wall.

"Yeah?"

"Can we just pretend that the outside world doesn't exist if only for a little bit?"

"Of course. For however long you need."

"Will you keep me safe?"

"Always."

He was still unhappy with Naruto's team leaders and prayed that Naruto would start to mend, even if only a little at a time. Until then, he would do whatever was needed to protect Naruto from more pain.

/ / / / / / / / /

It was good to be on active duty again. He felt useful to the Leaf now that he could help with the distribution of food, the rebuilding, or patrolling the borders. He worked alongside some of the Sand ninjas that had volunteered to assist the Leaf. When they had heard his name they had instantly connected it to the Clan that was housing Naruto. After that he started receiving questions about the woman. Many of the Sand had immediately identified Naruto as a female and had no reason to question the matter. The fact that they hadn't grown up being told she was a he meant that they saw her feminine traits more clearly. They had also assumed that since Naruto was staying with Shikamaru, and some comments Temari said before they had left the Sand that she and the Nara heir were dating. He chose to not correct them on that matter.

He was coming back from laying pavement with some Sand ninja when he spotted Captain Yamato walking towards him. Shikamaru picked up his pace, his face hardening into a scowl. The older man stopped upon seeing him. He tried to give a small smile but flinched at Shikamaru's stare.

"I just checked in on Naruto. She's doing well," Captain Yamato stated calmly.

"After what you did to her, you mean?" Shikamaru snapped.

The Jonin sighed. "We didn't want to hurt her but she wouldn't heal until we broke her open."

"That's insane. You could have found another way! You chose to break Naruto and leave her in pieces. Are you hoping that someone else will put the pieces back?"

"Naruto has to do that herself. We can only help her do it."

Shikmaru opened his mouth to retort but spotted a pink haired girl darting out from his estate in the distance. He growled at her retreating form.

"What is she up to?" He took off running, knocking Captain Yamato with his shoulder as he passed.

He stopped in front of the Nara gate guards, demanding to know how Sakura had gotten into the compound. When they informed him that it had been Sai who had came to the gate wishing to see Naruto Shikamaru instantly went looking for the blonde, hoping that Sakura hadn't done anything to worsen Naruto's emotional state. He spotted her sitting near the forest edge, patting Fie and Brefew as Ryota talked to her. Seeing her in her male appearance made Shikamaru flinch.

"Naruto, are you alright?" he asked, reaching out for her only to see her move back. He wasn't surprised though. Aside from moments when she truly needed comforting she had been avoiding his touch. "What did Sakura want?"

"I'm fine. Sakura just wanted to act like nothing had happened and I told her that that wasn't possible." Naruto turned her attention to the two deer patting them as they nudged her hands for attention.

"Shikamaru," Ryota piped up, looking at his cousin seriously. "I need to talk to you about some Clan stuff." He led Shikamaru away from Naruto and any others who might over hear them. "Did you order the deer to obey Naruto's orders?"

He rolled his eyes. "I know you didn't like me letting Naruto name Fie but that is a line I wouldn't cross."

"Well then, you should know that Naruto demanded that Sakura leave and when she didn't obey Brefew and Fie got agitated and were going to attack. It's highly possible that they just realise how hard Naruto's had it lately and are protective of her but I thought I should check encase other Clan members saw what happened."

"That is odd," Shikamaru agreed, looking over at the blonde. "Float the statement that the deer have noticed how much the Clan cares about Naruto and have taken it upon themselves to help. It very well could be the truth and it will stop the idea that I gave Naruto authority over the deer. I can check but I doubt either of my parents told the deer to listen to Naruto's orders."

"Weeell," Ryota blushed, scratching the back of his neck. "There's one other option and I can't believe I'm about to say this but… if Naruto was… carrying the heir the deer would sense it and protect her…"

Shikamaru gave his cousin a deadpanned expression. "Did you just ask me if Naruto is pregnant?" When Ryota nodded, looking incredibly embarrassed Shikamaru shook his head. "If she is, which I highly doubt, it wasn't by me."

"It was just a question, since that would cause the deer to act like that. But maybe you're right that they are just responding to the behaviour of the Clan. I'll make sure no one thinks that you gave Naruto authority over the deer."

"Other than that, how is Naruto doing? Did Sakura cause her any issues?"

"She handled it really well. Naruto told Sakura to get the hell out of here and that they weren't friends and she's looking better today too." Ryota shot a look over his shoulder at Naruto. "Clansmen have been telling me anything they notice about her that is a worry."

"Me too. I hate it. Every time I see a Nara coming towards me I want to yell at them to leave me alone. Hearing every little thing Naruto does that is a concern is just making me stress. I can see that Naruto isn't well, I don't need others pointing it out to me." Shikamaru rubbed his forehead with a sigh.

"I think you should focus on why Naruto is moving away from your touch. You let her name Fie, so in my opinion that means you have to marry her or I'm going to annoy you for the rest of your life." Ryota grinned.

"One: you'll annoy me forever anyway, the downfall of having you as a cousin, and two: I know what's causing it… I just wish I could pretend it didn't exist."

"Suck it up, cuz." Ryota thumped Shikamaru on the back. "You know it'll be worth it in the end."

/ / / / / / /

When he went looking for Naruto he found her in her and Ino's room. He stopped short once he had walked into the room. There had been a noticeable shift with Naruto in the last few days. He was inclined to blame Sakura but he knew that this particular change was his own making. In the month Naruto had been staying at the Nara compound she had been dressing feminine and somewhat… appealingly. She wasn't going out of her way to dress in an eye catching manner but instead was wearing clothing not made to size. The few pieces of clothing she had taken to the toads were more modest, even if they showed off her figure better but the hand-me-down clothing had other intriguing issues. Although Hana was older and taller than Naruto it became clear that Naruto's form was curvier and more developed. The height difference and Hana's liking for baggy clothing meant that the articles Naruto had were only slightly too small but it did create a strain around her chest or deep cleavage. Kiba's clothing was far too big and often resulted in shirts falling off one of Naruto's shoulders. Shikamaru's, whilst closer to Naruto's size when she wore her chest binds didn't fit so well in her female form. With many shirts that was fine, since they were long enough to give more fabric to her chest without exposing her stomach. The button up shirts she had taken to stealing was a different matter. Inoichi had demanded that Naruto never wear them without a jacket over the top when he saw that she had enough buttons open to reveal her bra. Shikamaru was hardly complaining over her clothing choices, and had even been tempted to hide all of Naruto's jackets after Inoichi's demand.

However, after Shikamaru's and Naruto's lunch by the river Naruto had taken to binding her chest again and dressing as a boy. Unfortunately, Shikamaru hadn't been able to think of a way to talk to Naruto about that moment. And asking someone else for advice was not an option.

Now, in the privacy of her room, she most definitely didn't look male. She was sitting on her bed in one of Shikamaru's button up shirts, and nothing else covering her orange bra and underwear. Naruto was writing in a notebook but stops when she looked up at the man. Putting the brush on the ink tray sitting on the nightstand, she asked him what he wanted.

"I just wanted to spend some time with you," he admitted. "You've been having a hard time lately and I like to check on you."

Naruto nodded, looking down at her notebook. Sitting down on her bed, Shikamaru looking at the words scribbled over the paper. Before he had a chance to read it Naruto closed the book, putting it aside. "I'm getting better. I didn't like having to talk to Sakura yesterday but it was necessary. She's not a bad friend, we just aren't friends. I don't think she ever really liked me, more just thought she had to since we were team mates. I'm glad we aren't continuing with that delusion. It's better for the both of us. She can spend more time on her true friends, and so can I."

"It's good that you can see the bright side to it. You have plenty of friends who truly want to be your friends. We all just want to see you happy." Pulling his shoulders back with a sigh, Shikamaru looked at Naruto. "We need to talk about the other day."

"Which one?" Naruto asked with a roll of her eyes. "I've had a couple of… full days lately."

He cleared his throat. "The one with us, at the river. I know what you were… um… leading to that day."

Naruto got up, moving to put her notebook away. "I don't want to talk about it!" She turned back to him, crossing her arms and looking away. "I can admit that it hurt… partly my pride."

"I know but I think I should explain myself. It's not that I," he rolled his eyes at the heat filling his cheeks, "It's not that I didn't want to."

"I know." Naruto raised an eyebrow at Shikamaru's confused look. Her eyes darted down for a hint before looking back into his face.

"Well," he cleared his throat, "that's embarrassing."

"At least we're on equal footing now," the blonde snorted. "Look, we don't need to talk about it. I get it. You were uncomfortable with me looking like a boy."

"That's not it!" Shikamaru yelped before running his hand down his face. "Alright, how about we both agree that for this conversation we just be honest and ignore any embarrassment or pride? So, I had no issue with you looking like a male. You are Naruto, and that's all that matters. The reason I stopped us before it went anywhere is because I didn't know if you were doing something you wanted or you thought I wanted. If you tell me that you were doing it because you wanted to I'll start kicking myself." He grinned when Naruto gave a splattered laugh.

After a deep breath Naruto unfolded her arms, rolling her eyes. "I'm glad you stopped me, even if it stung." The blonde walked closer, sitting on the bed facing Shikamaru. "If we're being honest, damn the consequences, then… what is it you want from me? Is it just physical and friendship, or… more?"

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You don't know?"

"Sometimes I think I know, but then I… get doubts and those doubts are easy for me to believe. And I've discovered recently that I have some issues."

Shikamaru couldn't help but laugh at her flippant attitude. He put a hand on Naruto's bare thigh, feeling almost shy as he looked her in the eye. "I can't tell you how I feel until you tell me how you feel. And I need you to promise to not lie about your feelings, even if they aren't the same, or the opposite of my own."

Naruto nodded slowly. "I… don't really know how I feel. I know I like you, romantically. But I don't know how deeply. I don't know how to tell."

"I'm okay with that. It took me a long time to realise the depth of my feelings for you. Now I know for certain. I love you."

The blonde's eyes widened. "You do? How can you be sure?"

With a soft smile, Shikamaru stroked Naruto's cheek, moving closer. He kissed her, not holding any of his emotions back. He pulled her close, until she was sitting on his lap, her chest pressing into his. One of his hands sat against her back as the other was lost in her hair. When he pulled back to answer Naruto, he was drawing short of breath. "I don't really know how to explain it. Being with you makes everything easier, and it makes me feel stronger. The way you see the world and the way you do what you think is right, even if everyone is against you is something that I admire. I find myself enjoying every moment of being with you."

"Are you disappointed that I don't know if I love you?" Naruto asked softly, playing with the collar of his shirt instead of looking him in the eye.

"I promised to be honest, so no I'm not disappointed. It hurts a little, not hearing you return the sentiment but I understand that given your upbringing you might have trouble with this. It just means that, if you don't unknowingly love me already, I have a chance that you'll grow to love me." Naruto laughed before Shikamaru went on. "Though I am kicking myself."

"About the other day?" Naruto frowned, moving back as far as she could whilst straddling his legs.

"No, not that." He shook his head, smiling. "I've been trying to tell you how I feel for months but I was always worried that you would convince yourself that you loved me so that you wouldn't have to break my heart. And it was only today that I realised I could just tell you why I wanted you to be honest and you'd tell me the truth."

Naruto kissed him. "Well, just think, it could have always taken you longer to work that out."

"True, that would be horrible." Cupping the back of Naruto's head, Shikamaru pulled her closer, kissing her deeply. Any restraint he had unconsciously put on himself melted away. Again he felt a stab of stupidity for not simply being honest with her earlier.

There was little he could do about that now though. He gasped in surprise when Naruto pushed him flat to the bed. When she laughed against his mouth he realised that was her entire intention. In retaliation he slid his hand up the back of her shirt, running his fingers over her spine. Naruto squirmed and squealed into his mouth, making him laugh. When he stopped, he kept his hand on her warm skin. He had always felt like he was pushing his luck when doing such a thing previously and had been waiting for Naruto to push him away. Now he felt comfortable with his actions and he could tell Naruto was already becoming bolder with her actions. Both of Naruto's hands slid up his shirt to sit on his chest, pushing his shirt up to expose his stomach as she kissed him deeper.

Naruto eventually pulled back, looking down at him with amusement. "We're about to be interrupted."

As though on queue Ino opened the door. When she saw them she yelped, covering her eyes. "You should lock the door or something!"

"We're not doing anything," Naruto retorted with a laugh. She sat up, removing her hands from under Shikamaru's shirt and kindly pulling the fabric back down.

"You're half naked!"

"I'm always half naked. I don't like pants." Naruto grinned at the other blonde's discomfort. She snorted when she looked down at Shikamaru, only to see him comfortably stretched out beneath her, his hands now behind his head.

"That's why I came in here." Ino rolled her eyes.

"To see Naruto not wearing pants?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Should I feel threatened?"

"That's not what I meant. Sai wanted to talk to you but I figured I should make sure you were dressed instead of just sending him in here."

Naruto snorted, rolling her eyes. "He's already seen me naked. If that didn't faze him I doubt seeing me without pants will." When Ino crossed her arms Naruto sighed dramatically. "Fine, if you insist."

She jumped off of Shikamaru, walking over to her dresser and pulling out a pair of pants and a shirt that looked like one from Kiba. Without hesitation Naruto unbuttoned her shirt, dropping it to the ground as Ino yelped again.

"Naruto, modesty!"

"Is clearly not one of my virtues," Naruto retorted, pulling on her pants and sending an amused smile Shikamaru's way. "I guess that's a side effect of having perverted senseis. You get desensitised."

"I am not complaining," Shikamaru added, having not moved from his spot. He was unashamedly staring at Naruto. Although he had seen her in various states of undressed thanks to her lack of caring he had never seen her in only her bra and underwear. Her skin was smooth, lacking any scarring and every inch of her was the same level of tan showing that she ever frequently took to nudity or that was her natural skin colour. The orange of her underwear highlighted her brown skin instead of clashing with it. He was thankful that she was out of arms reach and that Ino was present, making him actually stay in control.

"I am!" Ino snapped, her face red. "And I wish you wouldn't remind me that Sai has seen you naked. It makes me feel… self conscious in comparison."

"You shouldn't. You're gorgeous, and Sai and I don't see each other that way," Naruto insisted. She walked closer to Shikamaru, leaning down and kissing him. As she pulled back she winked at him before turning back to Ino."And you know, I've seen him naked, so if you want to know if he has any scars, or tattoos I can tell you… or you can tell him you want to draw a nude model. I'm sure he'd volunteer." She ran from the room with a laugh as Ino threw a pillow at her retreating back.

Shikamaru couldn't help but laugh at Naruto teasing Ino, drawing the young Yamanaka's attention. She gave him a withering stare, which just made him grin at her cheekily.

"If you keep that up I'll go tell Naruto you're in love with her," Ino threatened.

With a deep sigh, he sat up, pretending her words had sobered him. He stood, stretching before heading to the door. As he crossed the threshold he threw over his shoulder casually.

"I already told her, that's why we were on the bed." He laughed when he heard her gasp before he took off running, knowing Ino was not far behind wanting answers. When he passed Naruto and Sai in the lounge room he stopped long enough to kiss Naruto before taking off again, ignoring Ino's demands for him to stop.

About the author's note at the start… I'm not apologising.

R and R.