HEY GUYS AND GIRLS. HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER THAT I AM JUST SNEAKING IN. I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING MY ASSIGNMENTS BUT YOU GUYS AND GIRLS ARE WORTH SKIPPING WORK FOR. HOPE YOU ARE LIKING IT SO FAR. THANKS FOR THE FAVOURITES AND FOLLOWS EVERYONE. YOU ROCK!

HAPPY READING:)

"Everyone, the food is ready!" Yoshino announced as she put the last pot of food on the table. Shikamaru, Ino, Choji and Sakura sat in the lounge where Shikamaru started a fire in the cosy fireplace. The temperature dropped very quickly tonight and Shikamaru immediately hated it because it could only mean one thing; rain.

"Where are our husbands?" Mebuki looked around as she entered the room next Choji's mother. All the older females congregated in the kitchen even though the food was already prepared and all they needed to do was heat it up and make some final 'adjustments' to it. He didn't know where Choza and Kizashi were though. They weren't in the house or else Shikamaru would've seen them and they weren't in front of the house sitting on the wooden porch.

"Choza, the food is ready!" Shikamaru was pretty sure that the neighbours could hear that. Choji's mother had one loud and definitely terrifying voice. The four young ninja stood up as well then made their way to the table where their mothers were settling.

"Shikamaru, could you fetch the gravy sauce on the counter please?" He knew that his mother wasn't going to give him an option even if that was a question. He didn't need to anger her even more especially after the comment he made in the kitchen earlier. He obediently made his way into the cluttered kitchen. He knew that somehow he would end up cleaning it.
He heard the door connecting the kitchen and the backyard opening then saw the two fathers entering the kitchen laughing while continuing their way to the dining table. He was grateful that they didn't pay any attention to him because he really didn't want to face Sakura's father right now. He narrowly escaped Kizashi earlier when Ino made a joke about Sakura being his girlfriend but he could sense that Kizashi knew that there might be something happening between his daughter and him. He decided to ignore it and grabbed the gravy sauce before heading back to the dining table.

"Thank you Shikamaru." His mother was definitely planning something which scared the hell out of him. He handed the gravy to his mother then made his way to the empty seat between Choji and Sakura. He could see Ino smirking on the other side of Sakura so he knew that she purposefully left that seat open for him. He sighed then decided to sit down. He didn't want to make a scene and it wasn't like sitting next to Sakura would immediately indicate that they were a romantic couple.
"Dig in everyone." That was the invitation he knew Choji was waiting for. He was basically salivating while looking at the food laid out on the table but no one could blame him. It definitely was a feast. There was beef stew, crispy chicken pie, barbecued meat, grilled steak; everything that could make him happy and make Choji feel like he was in heaven. He barely glanced over at the various salads placed in between the food but that definitely wasn't the top of his list of foods right now.

"Everything looks perfect ladies." Kurenai commented. He immediately got concern. He definitely was going to eat until he couldn't anymore but he knew that Kurenai couldn't do that. She had to be mindful of her child. He was definitely going to be keeping one eye on her.

"I couldn't agree there more." Choza agreed as they began dishing them some food. Shikamaru decided to wait until their parents were finished dishing their food before he would start dishing his own. He could see that Sakura had the same idea. He turned to her for a moment and smiled as she had a reluctant smile on her face as well.
Lady Tsunade's words played over in his head again. This was the second thing that she warned him about; relationships. For some reason Lady Tsunade specifically warned him about getting into a relationship with her pink haired student. Lady Tsunade is Sakura's role model, guardian, teacher and almost like a second mother so it is only natural for her to be concerned about the young kunoichi but the way Lady Tsunade spoke about Sakura was as if she was the forbidden fruit in the biblical garden. He knew that Sakura had an 'evil' side but he hasn't met a girl who didn't have one so that couldn't be why Lady Tsunade warned him about her. Maybe it was because of her rapidly growing fame. Was she scared that being in a relationship with Shikamaru could lead to her student's fame or success dropping? Absurd but not impossible.
Whatever the reason is, he wanted to find out because he finally accepted that he wanted to be with her. She clearly didn't feel the same about him but he didn't care, his mind was finally at ease. He knew that he would end up hurt but what was new? The world was against him from the beginning. He didn't have it as worse as Naruto or Sasuke but right now he was sure that they were happier than he was.

"I know you're lazy but the food isn't going to walk onto your plate you know." There was her angelic voice. Her tone was playful yet challenging but he loved it.

"I was lost in my own thoughts for a moment." He began dishing up some food hoping that he didn't look like an idiot for zoning out. He refused to make eye contact with anyone and just continued. He was grateful when he heard his mother start a light-hearted conversation with the rest of the parents around the table. At least they wouldn't be paying attention to him.

"You need some vegetables as well. You're still sick." He reluctantly turned to face the girl sitting beside him. His blank expression was met with an equally stubborn expression on her face.

"You're not my mother you know." He was pretty sure that he was going to pay for saying that but it just felt like the right thing to say.

"I'm your doctor."

"Fine. Can you pass that bowl?" He motioned to the Greek salad. He didn't really like it but it wasn't the worst salad he could ask for and it was colourful enough so he was sure Sakura wouldn't have a problem with it.

"I'll dish it. I'm pretty sure you won't dish the amount you need." She really was out to get him for that comment now.

"I can do it myself."

"I didn't say you couldn't."

"I won't dish a little. I'm not going to dish a mountain like you have though. Do you even eat meat?"

"I was getting there." She immediately brought his plate closer to her so he quickly took her plate as well. "What are you doing?"

"Dishing you meat. Let's see if you can eat meat."

"This is not some competition. I am doing this so that you can recover quicker."

"I am pretty sure that you healed me perfectly yesterday unless there is a doctor that is better than you." This was escalating much quicker than it needed to. He was pretty sure that she wasn't going to back down any time soon but at least he enjoyed this verbal battle they seemed to be having.

"There is Lady Tsunade."

"She hates modesty so I don't think that you should say that she's better than you unless you suddenly want a mountain dropped on you."

"I wouldn't put it past her. Once she threw a huge boulder at me and told me that I should catch it." He couldn't help but release a smile at that. He knew first hand how scary Lady Tsunade could be so he certainly admired Sakura for being able to be her student.

"I'm pretty sure that she's borderline psychotic."

"Nope, she's definitely psychotic."

"Explains why the two of you got along so well." He couldn't resist taking that jab at her as they gave each other their plates again. She smirked at that comment so he knew that she was enjoying their conversation as well.

"We saved a lot of people as well while you and Asuma were lazing around playing shogi."

"It's much more appropriate to say that Asuma was suffering shogi rather than playing it. He couldn't beat me even if he tried."

"I guess you were suffering with your father then."

"That's probably the reason why he never taught me how to play. He knew that if he did then I would defeat him just like I did with Asuma. I gave him a run for his money though."

"I didn't exactly let Lady Tsunade walk over me as well."

"Looks like we were suckers for punishment then."

"Paid off in the end didn't it?"

"Definitely did." He looked at her once again but this time both of them had a genuine smile on formed on their faces. He could see that she was unquestionably happy at that moment. Their verbal battle that turned into a friendly conversation of appreciation for their teachers brought up her joyful emotions which made him happier as well.

"If you guys need the room then just say so." Trust Ino to ruin such a beautiful moment. He finally tuned into everything else happening around the table. Everyone was quietly eating while watching them. They were clearly more interested in listening to the two young ninja than any conversation they could possibly have. He turned to Sakura who began eating to try and hide her embarrassment that was clearly evident on her cheeks. She motioned for him to start eating as well so he obediently followed her lead.
They silently began eating their dinner as their parents began talking again. They received a few inquisitive looks while they ate but they ignored it. They stole a few glances at each other as well but Shikamaru decided to not to talk to her again which was probably for the best. Ino on the other hand had no problem trying to get Shikamaru and Sakura to talk again but he just deflected the question to Choji who gave short answers so that he could continue eating. He could see that it frustrated Ino so he did it was a smirking smile on his face.
Once everyone finished eating, Yoshino made a pot tea and brought out the dango she made earlier. Shikamaru was curious to taste it since this was his mother's first attempt. He grabbed a stick of dango and popped one into his mouth. The dango itself was boldly sweet but it was complimented by the simple yet elegant taste of the sauce spread over it. The dango was definitely prepared by his mother but he knew that she couldn't have prepared the sauce for it.

"This dango is great Yoshino." Kizashi happily announced.

"I can't take all the credit for it. Your daughter helped me." So Sakura is the one that made the sauce. She really was surprising him in a good way. Why Lady Tsunade warned him about entering into a relationship with the medic ninja was becoming more and more confusing by the second. He found himself staring at her with a simple smile plaguing his face so he quickly snapped out of it and drained his cup of green tea. Perfect combination.
"How was dinner Shikamaru?" His mother definitely was testing him now. She hasn't asked him that question since he became a chunin so she was definitely planning something.

"It was great." He was too nervous to lie. Lady Tsunade was scary as hell but his mother was still at the top of his list of scariest women.

"Even though it was prepared by females?" He immediately knew what his mother was trying to do. She was getting payback for the remark he made earlier. He had to think twice before he replied but everything that popped up in his panicked head right now ended up being bad for Shikamaru.

"Females are the best cooks." That was a safe reply right?

"Are you trying to say that females belong in the kitchen?" Damn Kurenai always trying to make things worse for him. She had a reason to though. He irritated her with the regular check ups every day and making sure that she took her medication and went to the doctor regularly. She was clearly team female and wasn't planning on helping him.

"Now you're just putting words in my mouth." He looked around the table to see if any of the guys would help him but he didn't see any willing expressions. Choza had a smile plastered on his face but Shikamaru knew that it was his defence so that no one bothered him. Seemed like too much work. Kizashi and Choji just looked dumbstruck. They didn't know what was going on and he didn't expect them to know. They weren't around to hear his earlier remark so they didn't know why he was being attacked.

"It's not about putting words in your mouth but rather about what your remark is intending to say." Choji's mother destroyed him with her reply. He didn't have any attack anymore. The only thing he could do was control the damage.

"It's difficult to prove intention."

"I can help with that." Ino didn't need an invitation to help take the lazy ninja down. She needed the victory over the lazy ninja.

"I praised females. Why am I being interrogated for it?"

"You know why. You brought this on yourself." Ino's mother joining in the battle. He desperately needed an escape.

"I merely stated a fact earlier. Was I wrong?" If he couldn't get them to calm down then he would try to get them frustrated so that they can defeat themselves.

"If you are singling out one bad event during someone's reign then are you saying that you are perfect?" His mother was clearly a seasoned ninja. There was no way he was going to win her especially if she was the only person who could defeat his father.

"I'm far from perfect. I just compared a single event to multiple reigns during this village's existence." He wasn't backing down and he knew that they weren't going to either. He hoped that someone put an end to this quickly.

"What did Shikamaru say?" Yes, maybe Mebuki would help him out.

"He thinks that male Hokages are better than female ones because the village was destroyed when Lady Tsunade was the Hokage." His mother certainly had a knack for digging a deeper hole for her son.

"I do not think that. I think the exact opposite actually. Thanks to Lady Tsunade we have much better relationships with not one but all four of the other great nations. We have an increase in economic activity not mention the time of peace that was created during her rule which we are still living in. The other Hokages before her were working in different and more hostile times and made the best of what they had but the only Hokage I think that did a better job than Lady Tsunade was her grandfather, the first Hokage. Before you say that I am being sexist again by saying that a male Hokage was better than lady Tsunade, there are no other female Hokage to compare Lady Tsunade to." Damn, even he was surprised that he said that. They managed to break him but for some reason they didn't have a smile of triumph parading on their faces but rather a look of admiration.

"Couldn't have said it better Shikamaru." Kizashi said as he nodded.

"The future is looking more prosperous by the day." Choza added. He didn't know how to respond. He respected both men seated by the table and their praises were definitely a relief to his ears. He gave them a smile and an accepting nod as well.

"It definitely is." Choji's mother agreed as she looked at her husband and smiled.

"But first they have to do the dishes before they can create a better future." He was waiting for his mother to give him his punishment but he didn't think that all four of them would have to suffer. Many hands create light work, at least he hoped so.

"What are you guys waiting for?" He could definitely see where Sakura got her sense of authority. Her father might have been seen as the head of the household but her mother definitely ruled it.
He could hear Ino groaning as they stood up. He knew she hated washing the dishes but there was nothing she could do about it now. Shikamaru and Choji gathered the empty cups and plates that were still on the table before going into the kitchen.

"How do they expect us to clean all this?" Ino complained.

"Quickly." Yoshino appeared in the room startling them. She went to one of the top cupboards and took out a tray of wine glasses then swiftly exited the room.

"Looks like they are going to be drinking while we are stuck here cleaning up."

"Shut up already Ino. Let's just get on with it." He immediately knew that this was going to be a drag. If Ino and Sakura were going to go at each other then he and Choji might as well exit the room and let them fight it out so that they can clean the kitchen one time.

"I agree. The sooner we do it, the sooner we complete it." He hoped that they would stop their fighting now.

"Just because you two are sleeping together doesn't mean that you can team up against me." Even when Ino was angry, she was still out to get information. She was definitely something else.
"Choji, back me up here."

"I agree with Shikamaru and Sakura; we should just do it." At least Choji had more sense than their blonde teammate.

"All of you guys suck. I am done with all of you." No matter how old Ino was getting, he didn't think she would ever get tired of throwing tantrums and fits like these. He selfishly hoped that she never outgrew it. It was who she was and who Shikamaru loved. Despite her bossy and extremely inquisitive nature, he knew who she truly was. He loved every part of her even if he didn't show it. He didn't need to, they were basically family.

"You and Choji can dry the things while Sakura and I wash them." He gave them the plan but he knew that Ino would have questions.

"Why don't you and Choji wash and Sakura and I dry?" There it was.

"Sakura doesn't know where the things go. You and Choji know where everything goes so it will be faster this way." You couldn't argue with his logic there but he knew that somehow Ino would.

"Choji and Sakura can wash then you and I can dry." Why did she want to change the minor details? What did it matter if Choji washed the things instead of him? She was just too troublesome.

"Give it a rest Ino." Sakura rolled her eyes at her best friend and Ino responded with a look that basically said 'whatever'. He could never understand their relationship. He could never understand any other female relationship either. Hell, he didn't understand females period.

"Let's begin guys." Choji happily told them.

"We should really do this more often. We hardly get to hang out like this anymore." Ino's mother was never one to shy away from having a good time with friends. She definitely passed that on to her daughter.

"I agree. Remember that time when the four of us had a picnic by the lake." Choji's mother definitely still wanted to talk more and they happily obliged. Despite the four ladies standing around the doorway and their husbands waiting behind them talking up a storm; none of them looked like they were ready to go home any time this century. It was a few minutes past midnight and the moon hung proudly in the sky but was covered by a thick blanket of clouds giving rise to the colder air wrapping around them.

"I think we should just spend the night here." Choji was definitely irritated by this point. His parents said that they were leaving an hour ago yet they still found themselves in the Nara house with no intention of leaving just yet.

"I think you're right." He had to agree with his best friend on this one. There was no way they were going home right now.

"Kurenai is already sleeping so we should follow her lead." He agreed with Ino as well. He was pretty sure that if they took a nap right now and woke up, their parents would still be talking.

"Does that include getting pregnant?" Here we go again. Why couldn't Sakura and Ino just have a normal conversation without trying to get one up on each other? Yes they were rivals but they were also best friends. He and Choji weren't trying to outdo each other and they were best friends. Maybe it was because they weren't rivals.

"Did Shikamaru knock you up already?" Ino was definitely ready for a fight. It was the middle of the night yet the two of them seemed to have the world of energy to continue this fight.

"I thought one of the boys around the village finally managed to get you knocked up."

"Screw you."

"I would tell you the same but I am pretty sure the whole village has already." That one had to hurt. He never thought Sakura would go that far. He knew Ino had a reputation but he knew that she was mostly talk and no action. Hell, she was probably still a virgin for all he knew.

"At least I don't scare them out of the village like you do." He had no idea what was going on right now. Were they fighting? Was this just a verbal battle? What the fuck was happening between them right now?

"Slut."

"Bitch."

"Pig."

"Forehead."

"Enough already." Shikamaru couldn't take it anymore. They were irritating him more than their parents were. "You girls are such a drag."

"Shut up Shikamaru. I've had enough of your whining ass tonight." If Ino wasn't a sister to him then he would've probably thrown an insult at her like Sakura did. How they were best friends was beyond anyone's reason.

"Whatever. Troublesome woman." Their fighting immediately ended with that. Why didn't he think of that sooner? Maybe his brain was just as tired as his body right now.

"I don't know why I am waiting here. It's not like I'm going home with my parents." Sakura did have a point there. Even if she did want to go home now, the doorway was blocked by their parents.

"You should walk her home Shikamaru." Choji, always looking out for people's safety. It annoyed Shikamaru but he knew his friend just wanted to make sure that Sakura would be okay. Sometimes he wished that Choji could be just as lazy as he was.

"Sakura is strong enough to protect herself. She doesn't need a man to protect her." Maybe he could talk Choji out of not letting him go.

"Choji is right. It's the right thing to do. A host should always make sure that their guests make their way back to their homes safely." Ino wasn't going to let him get out of this one. Defeating Choji alone when it came to things like these was difficult enough but defeating Choji and Ino was basically impossible.

"Then shouldn't I be walking home with everyone?" A stupid argument but he wasn't entirely wrong.

"Sakura is the only one who will be travelling alone." Choji shut him down.

"She lives in the opposite direction that we will be walking in so she can't come with us." Ino put the final nail in his troublesome coffin.

"Fine." Shikamaru gave in.

"Are you guys ready to leave?" Ino's mother asked them.

"We were waiting on you guys all the time. Let's get going already." Ino definitely wasn't afraid of taking her frustration out on her mother. If only Kurenai could see this mother-daughter relationship right now.

"Mom, I'm going to walk with Sakura to her apartment." Shikamaru told his mother as they followed behind everyone else leaving the house.

"Okay." His mother gave him an approving nod as she exited the house to stand on the porch and see her guests off.

"I will see you tomorrow." Sakura told her parents when they exited the Nara Clan compound. They were heading in the opposite direction now so they had to say their goodbyes.

"Make sure that she gets home safely Shikamaru." Kizashi definitely wasn't playing around or making any joke when he spoke now. It sent a shiver of fear down Shikamaru's back before he regained his senses.

"I will sir." He obediently shook her father's hand then gave her mother a hug. Sakura and Shikamaru then greeted everyone and he was surprised to see Sakura and Ino greet each other so friendly despite whatever that was that happened a few minutes ago. Their relationship was definitely inexplicable. He then took off on their journey down the empty dusty streets of Konoha. The only that greeted them on their way was the cold wind that swept through the streets. Definitely was looking like rain.

"If I knew you were going to be quiet the entire time then I would've insisted that you stayed at home. It's basically like I am walking by myself here." Her tone was purely playful for once. She didn't have any challenge waiting around a corner for him or a surprise attack ready to spring out on top of him.

"I'm just a little tired. Had a weirdly long day."

"Technically it's a new day right now."

"Hopefully a less tiring one."

"You might still be sick. I am sure I can get Kakashi-sensei to give you the day off."

"You don't need to. I'm basically planning on getting Shizune to decorate my office for me then catching up on everything that happened since the war. Only boring admin work tomorrow I suppose."

"Where is your office?"

"The room opposite Kakashi's office."

"The storage room?"

"It's an office now. I like it. It's feels like my own personal world inside it."

"I'll have to come check it out then. Maybe I can use it to hide out when I don't feel like working. I am pretty sure that you won't be anyway." There it was. A playful jab but it wasn't all that false.

"As long as you don't disturb my sleeping then you can use it as much as you want." Their silent laughter echoed through the muted night. The streets were lit just enough to light their path so they could see if anyone was around in case they were being sucked in to each other's company too much. A slight rush of wind brushed past them immediately freezing them. He could see that Sakura was getting a much colder since the clothes she was wearing wasn't exactly warm enough for this weather. She had a jacket on but it wasn't exactly winter-worthy clothing. He immediately cursed himself as his softer side caved in. He unzipped his tick sleeveless hoodie then handed it to her.

"Don't be an idiot. You need it more than I do." She definitely was stubborn but he wasn't going to give in.

"True but I am not putting it back on. Don't make me put it on you." He didn't feel in the mood for a fight. He was definitely getting cold but he survived worse conditions with less clothing.

"Don't make me put it back on you." Her threat didn't scare him that much. He knew that he this might be inviting the flu back but he didn't want her to get sick either. If it came down to it; the village needed the superstar doctor more than it needed the lazy genius.

"Have it your way." He sighed but his shadows immediately latched onto hers next to him. It took a lot of energy to activate the jutsu without any hand signs but that took too much work for him right now.

"Let me go Shikamaru." Now he was a little scared of her. He knew she would probably punch the living daylights out of him when he finished but all he cared about was getting his hoodie onto her frozen body right now. He worked quickly because he could feel her fighting against the jutsu and he knew that he couldn't over power her for long. In a minute he managed to get the clothing on her with the hood drawn over her head only revealing her glorious face. He released her from her frozen prison and readied himself for a punch but nothing happened for a few moments. She adjusted the hoodie to make her more comfortable then surprisingly hooked her arm around the stunned Nara.
"You're still an idiot but thanks." She tried to hide her grateful expression from him but it was impossible.

"Don't mention it." He was thankful that she walked right next to him hugging his arm so that he could feel some form of heat again. He was a little taller than her as they walked next to each other (more than a little I suppose, her forehead reached his lips perfectly) but they seemed to fit perfectly like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Her sweet, flowering scent innocently made their way to him and he loved every part of it. Ino once told him that he had a deep earthy type of smell to him so he wondered if Sakura could smell it or if she even liked it.
Suddenly he felt her body tense up a little and that immediately put his senses on alert. He stopped them and instantly scanned the area for any possible attack or any sign of an enemy but he didn't find anything. He then turned his attention to the pink haired girl standing next to him.
"Sakura, you okay?" He looked into her eyes but he could see that she wasn't focused on him right now despite her looking directly at him.

"Yeah." There she was. He could see that she was focused again. "I just got a quick shiver." That was a little odd. If she was shivering then Shikamaru should be freezing right now. Was she lying to him? Maybe it really was just a random shiver. She was a doctor so she could certainly tell him about more than a few medical conditions that would create a spontaneous shiver and he didn't have any reason to doubt her so he would just take her word for it.

"Let's get you home then." He got them walking again but this time they walked slightly faster than they were going before. Sakura was completely silent throughout the rest of the trip but that gave him time to address his own thoughts in his head; thoughts about keeping her safe and warm in his arms like he did the previous morning.

"Thanks for walking me home Shikamaru." Sakura told him when they stopped in front of her apartment. He was grateful that they made it back here without any awkwardness or incidences because he didn't want any more complications right now.

"It was my pleasure. Just make sure that you get yourself warm enough inside." His concern for her was genuine and he wanted to make sure that she was going to be okay.

"I will." She unhooked her arm from his and he immediately missed her warmth but suddenly she stood in front of him and he felt himself being drawn into her glorious gaze. His hand moved her pink bangs behind her ear as the other one gently lifted her chin up. Their noses gently brushed over each other as their breaths danced between the increasingly small spaces between their lips.
Then it happened. The sudden blissful impact of their lips moving against one another. Her hands found their way over his but suddenly he felt her body tense up again. She moved away from him breaking their short sweet kiss.

"I'm sorry about that." He quickly apologised as he released her.

"No. I am sorry. I just have to go. I promised Naruto that I would help him with his studying and then this popped up. Knowing him, he is probably still waiting for me." She quickly rattled off as she backed away.
"Goodnight Shikamaru. Sorry again about this."

"Yeah, goodnight." He replied but she was already jumping from roof to roof in the direction of Naruto's apartment. There was definitely something going on with Sakura.
He was left standing in the middle of street; dumbstruck and broken hearted. He cursed himself for falling for her. Once again he was found wanting a girl that didn't want him. He got suckered again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...
On cue, the heavens opened up. They released the raindrops that his eyes refused to release. Stupid. How could he possibly be called a genius when he fell for the same trick twice? How could he move on now?