His genin were a pain in the ass. Especially now that they were grown and able to take care of themselves. It's like they didn't need him anymore.
He scoffed at that. Of course, they would need him. They would always need him.
He sat up from earth's lush green blanket. Irritation had become his new(and unwelcome) friend. His genin were no longer such. They'd just graduated to chunin. About a two years or so ago. They believed they were ready for the jounin exams. The fucking jounin exams! It seemed like just yesterday they were genin.
He took out a cigarette, put it to his lips, and set its head aflame. Cloud gazing was a bust today. Not a single cloud in sight. He took a long drag out his cigarette then released the smoke with a melancholy sigh. This was too damn troublesome.
He closed his eyes. He needed to clear his head. He was starting to sound like a mother.
When he opened his eyes Sakura was coming toward him. She sat between his legs and didn't say a word. Not long after he felt Naruto's chakra and he sat against his left side. Then Sai to his right. And Sasuke to his back.
Shikamaru didn't know what was going on but they all exuded a plethora of negative emotions that he couldn't decipher. He wanted to say something but somehow felt like that wouldn't be the right move. So, he waited.
He could recall a time they had done this before. It as their first mission as chunin. A retrieval mission. They had no way of knowing the Akatsuki would also be after their target. So it went from a simple C ranked to an S real quick. They failed. The target was eliminated by the Akatsuki and they were in bad shape.
Back then, he was just promoted to clan head. He was in his office when Sakura came and perched herself on his lap and soon the rest followed suit. And all to quickly, they were asleep.
His cigarette burned all the way to the butt. He flicked away absently. Were they asleep now? He rested his chin atop Sakura's head, silently prompting her to say something.
"Sasuke's engaged." Naruto beat her to the punch.
Fucking clan politics. He just turned sixteen a few weeks ago.
"It's not within his clan, Sensei." Sakura informed him her tone bordering hurt and annoyed.
"It's to strengthen ties with the other shinobi villages." Even Sai sounded out of it and he always picked fights with his Uchiha teammate.
Sakura sniffled, she was obviously crying. "Teme isn't the only one either. Shino, some girl from Inuzuka and... Neji." Sakura cried harder at that.
She and Neji had been going strong for a little over a year. Now, he was being torn from her. Behind him, Sasuke was quivering against him. He hadn't so much as uttered a sound.
Shikamaru stood, in the middle of his students he noticed they were all in tears. They had locked hands, it was their coping mechanism. No hugs or words, just hands.
He made up his mind. Because he'd be damned if this was how his students, his kids, flames went out.
"I'll take care of this." And take care of it he would.
When he arrived hours later he found them huddled around Sasuke with Neji wrapped around Sakura. They
held hands. He'd smile if he didn't have
bad news to share with them.
All eyes were on him when they sensed him. And they were waiting with baited breaths. Hopeful eyes and hopeful hearts. He heaved a sigh and shook his head.
Naruto turned to the group, determination and fire in those azure orbs. "We'll find a way. Sasuke. Sakura-chan. Neji. We'll find a way, 'ttebayo." And then he was gone.
Shikamaru glanced to his cherry blossom student to find she was staring at him. He followed Naruto.
"There's gotta be another way to make those old geezers happy!"
"Naruto-" Kakashi began with a groan.
"We can't let them take our shinobi! I won't let them!" Naruto was screaming his head off when Shikamaru arrived.
"My hands are tied, Naruto. The Gokage will except nothing less than our best. Honestly, it's this or an all out war. Suna is currently our only Ally. Then it would be the two of us against three great shinobi nations. It would be just our luck if the smaller nations decided to join our opposed."
"What are they giving us?" Shikamaru said as he strolled in not bothering to knock.
"I think it would be in my best interest assert a knocking clause." Kakashi sighed his annoyance. "I assume your lack of manners are due to the same reason as our knucklehead ninja?"
"A show of good faith? We're giving away some highly skilled shinobi, not to mention powerful kekkei genkai. What are they offering us in return?" Shikamaru finished his piece, pleased that the Rokudaime Hokage had leaned back in his chair with thoughtful consideration.
The thought had appeared to him upon the first visit to his Kage. He hadn't considered it because they were working on the premise of peace. Such thoughts would undoubtedly contribute to some animosity between the villages once more. Hopefully, the current Kage would be more level headed about this.
"You aren't wrong." The Hokage finally started after a pregnant pause. "But I would prefer not to disturb the fragile peace that has been established." Shikamaru's shoulders slumped and Naruto's bright features sagged.
"There's gotta be something you can do!" Naruto was on the verge of begging. Such was unbecoming of a shinobi of his caliber. He'd have to tell him about that.
"There is." The copy-nin spoke tersely.
"But Sakura-chan and Teme-!" Shikamaru clamped a hand on his former students infinitely talking pie hole.
"There's something you can do?" The Nara clan head repeated with hope. Naruto made a sound of triumph.
"In an era of peace there's this such word as compromise." He called for his assistant. "Rin-chan, I need you to set up a Gokage summit."
"Yes, Lord Sixth." She scurried off with a light chuckle when Kakashi quipped something about her formality.
"Now would be the time to tell your students some good news." The Sixth told him pointedly. Shikamaru gave a lopsided smirk while Naruto cheered.