Warning: AU, ooc, female Naruto a.k.a Uzumaki Narumi./AN: If it's not too obvious, I only write fem Naruto so far. I love Naruto regardless of genders but recently I'm quite taken with female Naruto. HEHEHEDisclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Kishimoto-dono did ToT
Waking up in his embrace, his face closed wasn't something she wasn't familiar with anymore. It's been four years since they were married anyway.
She closes her eyes not wanting to wake up just yet but as he shifted, her eyes drew open again.
He was again calm in his sleep. Her eyes examines his features up close like she always does having to wake up earlier than he does most of the time. His closed lids, eyes and nose. She wonders how one's face can be perfectly sculptured.
Turning to her side to catch the time on the digital clock, she carefully moves his arm away from her before standing up to leave the bed.
Grabbing her nightgown robe, she wore it over before heading to a room not far from theirs.
Peeping through the door, their four year old was still in her dreamland just like her father.
Curving a small smile at the sight, she closes the door carefully not wanting to wake her up and made her way back to the room she shared with her husband.
Starting her day off like any other ordinary day, she began with her routine face wash and brushed her teeth before heading to the showers. In the showers, her mind began drawing on what she was up to for the rest of the day. It went right from preparing breakfast and making sure her husband was ready for work and sending him off before spending the rest of the day with their four year old daughter.
She had plans on them spending time together in the afternoon after she signed them up for a pottery class. She had told her husband about it and he had thought that it was a pleasant idea for her and their daughter to spend time and bond.
Closing the showers once she was done and grabbing a towel to wrap her curvaceous body with whilst she rinse off the excess water from her golden blonde hair, the door to the bathroom drew open revealing her husband, clearly not quite awake as he rubs his eyes.
Is it possible for one to even look like a six year old despite being almost 30?
"You're awake?" She greeted him first as she headed towards the vanity with the large rectangular mirror that runs across.
He looks up to find his wife with her shoulders bare and her petite yet curvey frame securely wrapped in a towel. He observes her every move. Right from how she tilts her head to move her hair to one side, exposing her lean neck as she dries her hair with another towel.
"What do you want from breakfast?" She asks as her eyes met his through the mirror.
He walks over before enveloping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. A habit he had incurred over the years together. His eyes closed and as if it was the most natural thing and she finds herself putting down the towel in her hand and places them on his instead.
"Shika, you haven't answered me." She peers over through the mirror as he opens his eyes lazily to meet her cerulean eyes again.
"Anything would do, Narumi." He finally replies her, flashing his lazy but handsome smile before planting a quick kiss on her temple and headed for the shower.
Soojung watches her husband leave and all that was left was the sweetness that comes by and goes. It lingers for a bit making her heart flutter before emptiness snatches in and pulls her back to reality.
Their marriage was contractual.
She sighed as she continues her routine.
Narumi had thought on spending her time with her daughter and just the two of them. The idea of making potteries together instead of wasting their time at home or the playground had kept her excited just by the thought. But just as both the mother and daughter were excited about it, Narumi hadn't thought that she would bump into her mother in law.
Her eyes lingers on Suki once in a while even when there were eyes that were watching over her little one.
"I didn't expect to meet Suki and you here today." Yoshino, who Shikamaru clearly inherited his smooth skin from began and as much as Narumi respected her as her mother in law, there was still an uncertainty that lingers whenever she's around the elder.
"We actually planned to attend a pottery class. I didn't expect to meet you here too, mother." Narumi replies with a smile that had become natural over the years.
"You should've included Shikamaru too. It's better when both the parents are together, don't you think?" Yoshino took a sip of her tea and Narumi wasn't sure why her words sounded so menacing. But again, it wasn't a first that came from the elder.
"Shika's always busy." Narumi stated the obvious plainly and maybe more inclined of not wanting to hurt her head trying to come out with a better defence. It was always useless after all, when you're facing the Nara's first lady.
"You could've gone during the weekends, dear." The Matriarch insists and Narumi received the cue to lower her gaze. He golden hair that rival the sun fanning her delicate face. Hiding it against her in law.
A tight silence envelopes and Narumi was glad she was able to relieve it just by looking at Suki laughing as she plays try to catch me with one of the Nara's men.
"Suki's turning five soon. You do remember what happens then right?" Yoshino finally drops the bomb and Narumi felt her heart falter at the mention of it. She knew it was coming but she hadn't expected Yoshino to remind her this quickly. It felt weird. As if there was something more to it.
Shoving the thoughts away when she was reminded that she at least had Shikamaru's support despite the wall between them. There was nothing she should fear or be nervous of. Not even Mrs Nara.
She turned to meet the older lady's eyes and it held nothing but a stoic, blank expression.
"Have you talk to Shikamaru about it?" Narumi asked.
"He knows better." Yoshino shrugs, taking another sip of her luxurious tea.
Narumi bits the inner side of her lips as she ponders.
"You're not going to breach the contract are you?" Yoshino's eyes changed and Narumi knew those eyes well. It was a warning sign.
"I'm well aware Mrs. Nara." Narumi replies tightly and it caught Yoshino's attention that her daughter in law is suddenly calling her formally.
"What are you up to?" Yoshino raised a brow.
"I'm not going to breach the contract since I knew what I signed up for. But I would appreciate for there to be some negotiations." Narumi calmly enquires.
"You signed the contract four years ago, you can't expect us to negotiate on what has been decided since years ago-"
"Suki grew up knowing me as her mother. She's only turning five. It'll be a little too cruel that you're suddenly separating her mother away from her don't you think?" Narumi cuts in and it irks Yoshino.
"I have no intention of retaining you as the daughter in law to our family any longer, Uzumaki Narumi." Yoshino insisted.
"I have no intentions of staying either." Narumi clarifies making the older lady frown.
"All I'm asking is for some extra time for me to let Suki understand why I need to leave. She's just a child. I'm not asking this for myself. I'm asking this for your only granddaughter. Suki is Shikamaru's biological daughter, your own blood. I really hope you would consider it for the sake of your grandchild at least." Narumi calmly spoke before she stood up, bowed and left to take Suki.
She didn't bother to listen to what Mrs. Nara has to say because all she had in mind was to ensure that her four year old would not be bothered by her departure.
Narumi knew it was near the end of her miserable life but as soon as Suki runs towards her with open arms and hugs her lower body, looking up to her in those bright baby blue eyes – Narumi began questioning herself.
Has her life been really miserable?
Maybe her childhood. But how about those 4 years she spent as a mother?
She didn't think so.
She lowers down to the child that had called her mother when she first learned how to talk.
The child that was barely a year old when she first held her. The child that grew up knowing Narumi as her mother when she isn't.
How do you even managed to look exactly like your mother, Suki-chan? It's probably why your father can never forget her. It's probably why Mummy can never have a place in your father's heart. It's probably why there was no place for me between you and your dad to begin with. He loves her too much. He can never let her go.
Fixing the little one platinum blonde hair and taking out a tissue to wipe the sweat that was running down her forehead after much running.
"Mummy, I'm thirsty." Suki cutely tells her curving a smile on Narumi's face.
"Let's quickly have something to drink and stop by somewhere for lunch, hmm?" Narumi offers and Suki smiled sweetly at the thought as she nodded.
'You inherited your mother's beauty. That sweet smile and those sparkle in her pale blue eyes. How can your father forget those? How can I even think of replacing those? Who am I to begin with?
Just a childhood friend your father cherished.
A friend.
And it remains at that.
"Come." Narumi stood tall and holds out her hand before Suki's tiny hand envelopes.
The four year old turned to look at her grandma who was looking at them with a blank expression.
"Is grandma not joining us, Mummy?" Suki tilts her head as she asked.
"No sweety. Grandma has other things to do. Do you want to say goodbye to her first?" Narumi asks and as she expected, Suki quickly shook her head and tight held onto her hand with both of her tiny ones.
"Grandma looks angry." Suki pouted making Narumi turned for one last glance at her mother in law.
How was she supposed to leave Suki in the hands of her grandmother who the child herself was afraid of?
"Should we go and visit Daddy first?" Narumi suggested and at the mention of her father, Suki brightens up with a wide smile as she nodded in excitement. "Let's ask him to join for lunch with us!" She cheers and Narumi smiles brightly at that.
She doesn't need to worry of leaving. Suki has Shikamaru. And she knows well how Shikamaru loves and care for his daughter more than anything. Suki was the only memory he has of that woman after all.
The only woman that has Shikamaru's heart.
The only woman that Shikamaru loves.
And that woman isn't her.
"Let's go." Narumi smiles with Suki in hand and not bothered by the glare that she could feel trying to shoot through her.
Mrs. Nara watches in silence, her long fingernails curling in and digging into her palm.
Narumi wasn't sure when or how she fell for her husband but it came to her realization a few months ago when Shikamaru had a hard time coping with the sudden loss of his father and mentor —Asuma— who died in an accident. Seeing him shed tears for the first time in the many years that she knew him, broke her heart. It was one of those nights when Shikamaru wakes up unable to sleep and Narumi had caught him staring out blankly with teary eyes.
She had approached him and unusually he didn't ask her to go back to sleep and ensured that he was alright like he always does. He stares at her instead and held her hand in his.
Narumi did not do anything special but merely asked "Are you okay?" like she always did any other nights whenever she finds him awake.
But that night, it seem like Shikamaru reached his resistance point. He completely broke down in front of her for the first time and Narumi unknowingly shed tears at the sight. Holding him close in her arms whilst he pour his heart out made her realized how much Shikamaru meant to her and seeing him in a vulnerable state was something she never wants to see again.
She vowed on that particular night that as long as she remains as his wife, she would ensure that Shikamaru is happy and nothing would break him. She wanted to protect him.
Ever since that night, he started to smoke.
"Suki said you met mum?" His voice came breaking Narumi out of her trance.
She watched him took a seat next to her before her eyes diverted to their daughter who was running around trying to catch a flying butterfly. The four year old laughed and a motherly smile naturally curves on Narumi's face at the sight.
Shikamaru caught hold of it making him smile as well.
"She's prettiest when she's smiling and laughing like that right?" He comments staring at his daughter.
"She is." Narumi replies.
"She resembles her mother a lot." She unknowingly comments and Shikamaru literally froze at that.
He turn to his wife who turn to meet his eyes with an unreadable expression.
"You went to visit Ino yesterday right?" She asks without any hint of what was playing in her mind. Shikamaru merely nodded.
"How did you know? I don't remember telling you about it." He asked in return.
Narumi turn to watch Suki again ignoring how Shikamaru's gaze seem to linger at her.
"I saw the purple hydrangeas you hid on your chair in the office at home. You should've hid it better. Suki found it whilst she was searchung for you. She thought it was hers. I had to find her orange ones instead. You know how she prefers orange above all." Narumi commented absent mindedly but unlike any other day, her words seem deeper than it is and it made Shikamaru uncomfortable.
He tore his gaze from his wife and returned them to his daughter.
"She likes the same type of flowers like her mother does too." Narumi added and it made Shikamaru slightly frown hearing her.
"What did my mum say?" He drops the question and Narumi heaves a small sigh at it.
"Just reminding me of where my place it." She shrugs.
"There's still a few more months before Suki turns five." Shikamaru response.
"And that few more months comes fast Shika. Until when are you going to hide Suki from her real mother? You know how attached your daughter is to me." Narumi finally turns and this time she was frowning.
"'My daughter?" Shikamaru returned the same frowning look and Narumi just wished she could take back her choice of words.
Shikamaru chuckled bitterly and turned away.
"I'm sorry. I should've known better than to assume that you're already treating Suki like your own by now. But I guess I was too rash in thinking that way." He shook his head.
"You know that's not how its like, Shika. You know I care and love Suki just like my own." She argues.
"Then why are you even bringing of what to come in the next few months and even bother by whatever my mum has to say?" Shikamaru responded bitterly, it was clear he was upset but Narumi couldn't understood why either.
"I have to eventually leave Shika and if it doesn't bother any of us then I don't understand what does. Suki is going to be hurt badly if you don't tell her now. She's just a child."
"Exactly. She's just a child." Shikamaru agreed and there was more that he wanted to say to her but he wasn't sure why the words just wouldn't come out.
"What are you trying to say?" Narumi questions and she noticed how he has been holding back for the past few months.
And like he always did, he waved it off.
Narumi watch him make his way to his daughter, carrying her in his arms and giving her all the love any child would deserve from her father.
Her heart broke at the thought that she would no longer be able to witness this beautiful family.