"Uzumaki naruto?' Nice name!"' said the Nara in a big smile when he saw the blonde's happy face.
Shikamaru rose from the swing on which he sat and went behind Naruto.
"Do you want me to push you?" asked the Nara with his hands on the iron chains holding the swing.
"Y...yes I do!"He said in excitement that shikamaru knew so well.
"Hang on! I don't want you to fall off!" he said loudly.
The two boys began to play on the swings but quickly moved to other facilities in their area.
They played and played until they were the last two people in the Park.
Shikamaru saw the blonde enjoying every minute of playing, and was surprised to see him running around and not thinking for a second to stop playing because of the lateness of the hour.
"Hey Naruto, stop for a little bit will you" said the Pineapple head.
Naruto froze in place and looked at his first real friend.
Shikamaru could see the blonde's face was decorated with a big smile. "I'm sorry shikamaru; I just never had this much fun before!"
"So I guess you want to stop now?" said the energetic jinjuriki.
Shikamaru started to see that although the blonde's face were smiling, it was clear that he didn't want to stop being in the proximity of the lazy Nara.
"Not at all" announced shikamaru out loud, "I just thought to myself that maybe we can go eat something, my treat! And finally finish with a smile.
The blonde's face became a radiant smile in a few moments, and then his face changed to that of shame and disappointment.
He remembered the stories he heard from his friend in the future, of those who did not let him into their stores and others who sold him expired products at a triple price.
"I ... I don't think..." Tried to say, but the Nara wouldn't give him the chance to finish his words, "we are going to eat at my house! So...? Interested?".
The jinjuriki tried to say something but didn't have the time before shikamaru started to push him toward his house, "I'm sorry, but your opinion is rejected!" said while Naruto got shoved toward the road with little resistance from the blonde.
Naruto frowned and tried to stop his new friend that was a lot stronger than he looked, "what do you mean what I say doesn't count!" he said loudly.
Shikamaru stopped pushing the blonde, "I just want to invite you to my place, is that such a bad thing?" He asked seriously.
"It's not that I don't want to..." Said the blond while scratching his head trying to think of an excuse.
Shikamaru was silent for several seconds "it's your call, but I'd really love it if you receive my invitation!" finished the pineapple head in a big smile.
Naruto looked at his new friend in amazement, he was someone that people stay away from and ignore no matter where he went or looked at. And out of nowhere appeared the boy standing in front of him as if he were his best friend. He just didn't know what to think!
"I tell you what, let's make a deal!" said the Nara.
Naruto tried to resist but his natural curiosity won him over "a deal? What kind of deal?" said while he folded his hands.
"Let's play a game, do you know the game Tic Tac Toe?" he asked with a smile.
Naruto nod his head.
"If you can beat me one time out of ten games, I will give up!" said the Nara.
Naruto smiled to himself, "that's all! No problem!" he said loudly.
But the Nara did not finish "But! If you lose all of them you will accept my invitation!" he finished with a little smile.
The blonde jinjuriki smiled to himself, he sought of a way to decline the invitation and he just got it. I mean how hard would it be to win one game out of ten, in a game of luck?
"I accept your challenge" said the energetic blonde.
The small smile of Nara has doubled its size in an instant.
The Nara walked home alone with a smile on his face.
He could hear someone mumbling something behind him.
"Cheater..." Said the one known as Naruto as he walked after his new friend with his hands in his pockets and a grumpy face.
Shikamaru looked toward his friend still walking on, "cheater? Why do you think so?" he asked innocently, but inside he knew very well what he did.
Naruto held his anger during all the way, until he was no longer able to hold his feelings about his loss in the face of a genius.
"Don't give me that! tare is no way anyone can win a game of luck. Ten times out of ten! "He said while pointing to the back of the Nara.
The Nara smiled.
"What can I say, lady luck smiles to me". Said the boy as granted without shame again when another idea came to his head.
"I'll tell you what, I will give you a rematch after we eat something? Ok?" asked the Nara heir.
The Nara saw Naruto start to get excited again. "No problem!, and this time I will be the one to win 10 out of 10!" declared the jinjuriki.
Glad to see Naruto no longer angry the Nara slowed down to go along at the same pace as his friend.
As Naruto came to the side of shikamaru he looked at him and folded his arms. "Say you said you are a part of the Nara clan?" he asked.
He was surprised from the question but kept his composure.
"Yes that's true, why do you ask?" said the genius.
"It's no big deal" he was Trying to say while scratching his head in embarrassment.
"Are you sure you want to invite someone like me with no clan?" he asked with his face pointed to the floor.
The blond expected the Nara would change his mind about the invitation.
"No, not at all." shikamaru said without blinking.
"Besides, who told you that? "Asked the black haird boy.
"W..What?!" said the jinjuriki while looking at his friend with wide eyes.
"Your an Uzumaki no?, part of the Uzumaki clan!" said the Nara.
He knew he could put his friend in danger if he would reveal everything he knows about his future, but he knew the information could cause the blond to reach new heights. The look he saw on the face of the young blond told him he was right.
"Are...Are you serious? "He said in astonishment.
"You didn't know, the Uzumaki clan were at the time of the first hokage" he began to explain to his friend on the clan he belonged to.
And when he finisd explaining about his clan Naruto just kept quiet and smile.
The Nara wanted to ask him what goes through his head but denied the question when they came to the gate to see two guards who could barely hold themselves from sleeping on guard duty, "were here!".
The guards shook the sleep and returned to themselves when they heard the voice of their heir, "shikamaru-sama!" said one as the two bowed.
"Yo!" said the former lazy heir with a salute.
One of the guards eventually noticed the blond boy standing next to the Nara as his face changed to one of worry, "shikamaru-sama...Who is this with you? "He asked nervously.
"This is naruto, my friend," said the younger Nara without blinking or moving his eyes from the guards.
He began to feel the blonde's eyes on his back.
"Why?, is there a problem with that? "He asked with a bit of venom in his voice.
"It...It's just that", the other guard tried to explain even as his voice betrayed him and he began to stutter with a scary look from shikamaru.
He wanted to object aloud and protect his blond friend but feared he would feel unwanted.
"I tell you what," said Nara with an idea in his head.
"You go back to sleep, and I won't tell anyone you saw you sleeping". He said and smiled as he saw the guards begin to swat slightly.
"Shikamaru-sama!,thats a little" one of the guards tried to say.
"I'm sure yokiho and naho will not be happy if they knew that you tow were sleeping on the job" Said the Nara with sadistic smile.
Both guards became scared, the Clan head is one thing. But just the thought that their wives will know that they slept on duty was more than enough to convince them not to stand in the way of their successor.
Two guards opened the gate and allowed the two boys to pass without saying another word.
Naruto looked at the two guards and then to his friend, "what happened to them?" He asked.
The Nara smiled, "just reminded them to take their work seriously".
Shikamaru saw them sweat in fear as he passed them and knew that nothing scared the Nara more than their wives.
The two boys arrived after a short walk to the door of the Nara's house.
"Wow!..Your house is massive, don't you get lost here?" said the blonde with a smile on his face and eyes flashing with excitement.
"Not really", said slowly. "You get used to it pretty quickly, you'll see!".
He opened the door and entered with Naruto, "I'm home!" he said loudly and removed his shoes at the door.
Naruto stood behind him and having absolutely no idea what to do, but eventually copied the Nara and followed his steps.
They came to a large room with a large sliding door that led to a small part in the garden, in the center of the room was a dining table with four pillows and one other person in the room.
Shikaku sat on the porch with his back to the boys without moving, "probably sleeping" thought shikamaru.
Shikamaru settled on one of the pillows and signeld Naruto to sit next to him.
"Who's that with you shikamaru?" asked shikaku out of nowhere and turned his head to the boys.
The jinjuriki looked at a man who looked like an adult and threatening version of his new friend how looked straight at him.
"This is my friend naruto, I invited him to dinner". Said his father directly without another word.
Shikaku looked at the blond jinjuriki.
"Goo...Good evening, I'm Uzumaki naruto" said Naruto a little scared of the man.
"Shikamaru that's", He began to say that until he heard footsteps from the kitchen.
Yoshino entered the room with a big pot of rice and a smile on her face when she saw her son.
"Shika who's your friend?" asked his mother with a smile.
"This is my friend Naruto, I asked him to join dinner with us. Is that ok mom?" he asked innocently.
"Good evening ma'am I'm Uzumaki naruto" said the blond politely.
The adorable look they gave her was reason enough for her to agree.
"Of course!" she said with a smile, "right dear?".
The old Nara turned his head toward his wife, and froze in place as she warned him with her eyes not to embarrass his son next to his new friend.
Shikaku sighed and sat in his place at the table after 'agreeing' with his wife.
Within a few minutes of waiting the table was full of food made by Yoshino.
Naruto couldn't take his eyes from the food that was in front of him, but waited until the others had begun to eat.
As soon as Yoshino sat down next to her husband all began to eat.
Tha...Thank you very much for having me tonight!" said jinjuriki with a smile to those around him as they ate.
Yoshino smiled to him from her seat.
"There's nothing to thank for Naruto, I'm always happy to have my son's friends", she said with a wink.
The blonde blushed and hid his head.
Shikamaru laughed seeing his friend blushing.
"So shika, where you've met naruto?" asked shikaku his son.
Shikamaru began to explain where he met Naruto, of course without reviling the fact that he was looking for the jinjuriki.
"My my, how nice to see someone so energetic like Naruto. Not like someone else I know!" she said with a small grin as her husband looked at her not really caring.
"Troublesome woman", said the head of the family in a lazy manner.
They continued to talk and enjoy their meal, but the one who enjoyed the most was Naruto uzumaki. He never believed he will be enjoying a home-cooked meal. With more people, that would be happy to have him in their home.
At the end of the meal Yoshino began to clear the dishes with the help of Naruto who insisted to help.
Finally, after finishing with the help of naruto. Yoshino brought from the kitchen a big Apple tray.
He noticed that shikamaru was sitting in front of his father and in between them was a small Shogi board.
Naruto looked over shikamaru's shoulder curiously trying to figure out the strange game that the father and son were playing.
"So how was your meeting with lord hokage?" said the young Nara to his father.
His father sighed when he heard the question and looked at the game board.
He moved several pieces and took an Apple piece Yoshino offered him.
"You know jiji shikamaru's dad?" asked Naruto.
"Shikaku is fine naruto-san" replied the old Nara. "I am the jonin commander after all" said with a little pride in his voice.
"W…wow!, so cool!" called the blond with stars in his eyes.
"So what did you talk about?".
"That the preparations are almost completed, and in three weeks they will reach the village to discuss the agreement". He said.
Shikamaru raised his head from the Board and looked at his father wondering.
"Agreement?, what for?"He asked.
After a bite of Big Apple he looked at his son, "the agreement with Kumo" said with a mouth full.
"Ahh" Said the young Nara.
He felt he had forgotten something important, very important!.
He froze and his eyes opened wide when he recalled it. How he could forget!?.
The only things that came up in his head when he heard about the agreement were: the death of neji father, and the kidnapping of Hinata!.
An idea popped in his head and he had to act fast, but noticed that his father looked at him with a bit too much interest so he quickly chose to change the subject.
"So Naruto how my mother's cooking?" ,asked the Nara.
The radiant smile the jinjuriki gave life to was the best proof, "it was the best thing I've ever had in the world. And it was much better than Ramen!"
CRUSH!.
Everyone was surprised to see that that shikamaru's Shogi board was on the floor when he fell from the balcony, as he heard the answer that he never expected to hear from Naruto. Something more delicious than ramen?! ,He wondered if he was really the real Naruto and not an imposter.
The blond scratched his head in embarrassment, "I ...I mean I never ate home-cooked meal. I mean.. I".
He stopped talking when Yoshino hugged him from behind his back and smiled.
"Thank you for the complement naruto-kun".
The Young blonde smiled at the woman, a little red in his cheeks.
Yoshino than turned to her son, "you OK honey? "She asked.
The time traveler looked slightly annoyed, "just great...".
"Well now, let's get you boys to bed!".
"Oh?/what? "Asked the two boys at the same time as they looked at her.
She stood in front of them in a threatening manner when she clenched her hands. "You don't think I'm going to let little Naruto-kun go to home at this hour, right?" she said.
"Little Naruto?" the jinjuriki thought embarrassed.
"M…mom", trying to tell his mother.
"I don't want to hear any objections from anyone of you!" ,said the Nara's mother.
"Too long has past since someone praised my cooking, and I've decided he's going to stay here tonight" ,she said in determination.
Shikaku moved his head to the side, he had no problem with the blond, but he knew that he would regret it very much if he would object.
Shikamaru had no problem with his mother's decision but it made the genius think, "I never said a good Word to her about her cooking?".It was just another one of the things that he needed to change this time.
Shikamaru and Naruto came to a shikamaru's room and soon began to make their beds ready for sleep, shikamaru on his bed and Naruto on the ground in a warm futon.
Shikamaru began to tell his friend about the uzumaki clan as he promised, where they come from and the rest of their written history. The jinjuriki expressed interest in the art's that his clan was so famous for, shikamaru had a doubts that naruto could understand something so complicated. But after all, this was what Naruto was so famous for!.
Being unpredictable.
Just as the Nara begun to explain about his own clan he was able to see his friend sleeping peacefully, a small smile formed on his face when he looked at the ceiling of his room and began to think about his plan for tomorrow.
He didn't see Naruto's face with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes as he felt warm and most of all safe.
The feeling of being protected.
Author's Notes:
Hi everyone!
I just got around to watch "naruto-ova 9" It was just bullshit!
That's all!