A/N: I'm trying to keep the characters true to their portrayal in Kishimoto- san's manga, but it's hard with scenes like this one because none of the characters ever wake up in bed together.

The plot thickens, Enjoy!

[Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine]

Chapter 14 – Slippery When Wet

Shikamaru woke from a sound sleep in confusion as his body reacted to something loud coming from the outside. Sitting upright with eyes wide open his mind was slow to grasp what had happened.

"What was that noise?" said Ino asking aloud the question that was still forming in his mind. She sat up next to him on the bed pulling the covers up and looking around.

The adrenaline rush of the abrupt wake up call helped to wash away his grogginess quickly. They had heard the glass doors to his porch balcony rattle with a bang, like someone had thrown a rock. Shikamaru was sure that there had been a deeper rumble under that, which meant an explosion.

"I'm not sure, but we should find out." he responded in delay. The chuunin jumped to his feet. As the bedsheets slipped away Shikamaru realized that the air was unusual cool this morning. This also led him to another discovery.

"But, first!" he declared raising his index finger for emphasis, "I need to put some shorts on." Shikamaru wandered off his bed to find some clothes in his many piles, employing his tried and true technique for summoning underwear.

"Here pants, pants, pants...," he chanted.

Ino ignored the antics of her naked boyfriend and pulling up the covers around her walked over to pull the curtains aside. She looked out the sliding doors for any sign of what had happened. A gasp escaped Ino's lips as she took in the scene of the distance.

"Oh Shikamaru!" she exclaimed, "The Hokage's house is burning!"

Ino stared in horror at the picture. While no flames were visible, thick rolls of inky, black smoke hid the highest floors of Tsunade's residence. She could not rip her eyes away from it as she felt Shikamaru move to stand behind her. Fully clothed with his ninja gear on and he put his arms around her. Hugging her close he spoke, "Get ready in case the warning sirens sound. If we go to level two, I'll see you at the evacuation shelter."

Ino reached up a hand up to caress his face as she felt him kiss her on the neck. Her fingers caressed his cheek as he vanished, before her hand collapsing to her shoulder with his departure. With her gaze still transfixed, Ino wrapped her arms around herself. She found herself already missing his embrace. It was an ache which froze her for a time.

"Yosh!" Ino said to herself firmly, snapping out of her worry. She tore her eyes from the unfolding spectacle and threw off the bed sheet with a flourish. She knew she could not waste any time as she prepared for the worst, praying it would never come.

Shikamaru ran swiftly along the rooftops, moving like an arrow towards the Hokage's residence. Nearing the smoky area he paused two streets away from his destination. He stared hard at the tall chimney of the house ahead and waited.

"They've already setup a perimeter," he thought with relief, "that's good, it means she must still be there." Knowing Tsunade was alive was a good start, but he still needed to find out what happened. He had a strong suspicion this was all related to that little package he had delivered her.

Shikamaru didn't wait long before a shape emerged from behind the chimney to reveal a animal masked-nin. The mask kept the young chuunin from recognizing who the Anbu was, but as a sigh that escaped from the masked man it hinted that he recognized Shikamaru.

"Yo," said Shikamaru neutrally before shoving his hands in his pockets. He didn't want to appear anxious, but it would be a real pain if this guy didn't let him approach. The man scratched his fingers through his bright reddish hair and stared back. It seemed to Shikamaru he was thinking a little too hard about this.

"Why not..." he said finally putting his hands up, "I guess you might as well go in too, since half the village is already there anyways."

Shikamaru wasn't quite sure what that meant, but he nodded and sprinted away to finish the last leg of his journey. He landed in front of what was once the front door to the Hokage's house and immediately grabbed a hold of his nose to ward away the sudden intense smell of charred wood and burnt hair that filled the still smoky air around him.

The scene of destruction he witnessed as he entered made him soon forget the smell. He stood there in amazement as he discovered that most of the roof and three of the four exterior walls were completely gone, it was like a giant hand had passed over the building and torn it off the top like a candy wrapper. There was only one room left standing which Shikamaru was pretty sure was the Hokage's bedroom. It was now attached to her newly created rooftop patio.

Tsunade was obviously holding a party to celebrate. The Anbu had meant what he said and Shikamaru had never seen this many high ranking ninja in one place before, in fact he sort remembered a rule against it. He would need to ask Sakura for sure. There must have been hundred ninja milling about, talking and arguing, all in the remains of the Hokage's home. Shikamaru moved in a little along the edge of the crowd where the one wall still remained. He saw a dozen faces in the crowd he recognized as jounin as well as a lot of Anbu masks, he still hadn't seen Tsunade though. He was readying himself to push through when a flash of pink caught his attention in the crowd. Pink-shirted and pink-haired, Tenten and Sakura emerged from the crowd toward him with anxious faces.

"You're finally here!" said Tenten as they reached him.

"She's acting like I'm late," he thought.

"Yeah," he said, "What's going on?"

Tenten shrugged. "I'm not sure exactly. Tsunade was attacked and then she blew up her bathroom. I'm trying to find Lee to get the whole story." Tenten was trying to sound untroubled, but Shikamaru could tell she was worried. Being the Hokage's bodyguard meant that he would be an obstacle to any would-be assassin.

"I'm sure he's fine. I heard he's resting near where her couch used to be." said Sakura brightly trying to cheer the other woman up. Shikamaru groaned inwardly, Sakura's choice of phrasing also implied that he was seriously injured.

"Hai, let's find him then, Ikuzo." he said quickly, turning in that direction. Their progress was painstaking slow as they had to weave in an out of groups of other leafs who seemed to serve no other purpose than getting in his way. They were almost all higher ranked than him too.

Shikamaru gritted his teeth as he had to wait for yet another jounin to pass in front of him. "Sakura, isn't there some law against this?" he asked her suddenly reminded of his early question.

The kunoichi looked frustrated as well. She said, "Hai, several in fact, but all the older ninja here are upset. They all keep talking about Sandaime's death."

Shikamaru nodded, he remembered that time quite well, it was when he became chuunin. He had told Choji a little while after he got his vest that it would take the assassination of another Hokage for him to become Jounin. It was a bad joke. He deeply regretted those words now.

Shikamaru was finally starting to wake up after being sound asleep less than an hour ago. "Who would have thought the Hokage's place was this big once you blew the walls out?" he commented to the girls as the pressed on. It was then he realized it was odd that Sakura had gotten here so quick, she lived farther away than Hinata and they were both on the other side of the village from here.

"Sakura, how did you get here so fast?" he asked as he once again waited for a pair of older ninja to get out of the damn way. He looked at her and was confused by the slightly embarrassed smiled she gave him for such a the simple question. "And what's wrong with your face," he asked, "it has a red mark on it."

Sakura began to rub her cheek where a crease from sleep was left. Tenten smiled and brought her hand up to her mouth.

"[cough]...walk of shame...[cough]." said Tenten wickedly.

Sakura gave her the look of death and rubbed at the mark a little more. "Shut up Tenten!" she said, "Maa, I just fell asleep on his couch."

Shikamaru put two and two together and said dismissively, "Oh, that's right... yesterday was Thursday." Now for some reason, he was being included in the look of death and Tenten started laughing like he'd made a joke.

"Ah, the joys of an all-female team," he thought to himself. At least Hinata wasn't here to be embarrassed for him and defend him in a conversation he had lost all understanding of.

The three chuunin made it finally to the resting place of both the couch and the Leaf's proud emerald beast. A jagged piece of porcelain bathtub had skewered the Hokage's couch like a pincushion. Rock Lee sat leaning against the wall next to it. His shirt and pants were almost completely shredded and he had a bruise forming on his face. He seemed lost in a daze.

"Yokata," Tenten breathed at Shikamaru's shoulder. Pushing past, she ran over to his side and knelt down to hug him before grabbing his face in concern. He grinned slowly in recognition. Tenten's worried face relaxed in relief. She immediately began picking at where his clothing was torn to assess his injuries.

"Oi, Lee," said Shikamaru, "Ogenki desu ka? Rough day at work?"

Lee gave a small laugh and tilted his head up with obvious difficulty. "You could say that," he answered.

Tenten was pleased to find no serious wounds as she checked the major tears in his outfit. "What happened to your clothes?" she asked taking his hand in hers.

Lee studied their hands for a moment before talking. "Komen, Tenten. Hokage- sama closed my wounds, but I lost a lot of blood and there's still some internal damage. She said I should be fine as long as I eat properly and rest for a couple days."

Shikamaru wanted to know more about the attack when he saw Rock Lee swallow a little like he wanted to continue. Poor guy, he really looked worn out.

"She was taking a bath when she was attacked." Lee said. "I didn't actually know what was happening... I'm not in there with her, of course." He stopped, seeming to be distracted by something. Finally, he continued, "There was this loud explosion and a piece of the bathtub came through the wall. I ran in to see what happened. Hokage-sama was there, lying on the floor. The place was destroyed.... there was only a large hole where her window was supposed to be. She was slow to get up. I heard the whistling sound of shuriken, a lot of them, and I knew their target. I threw myself on top of her. I remember feeling them hit me and Tsunade-sama's hands bluring through seals... I think she was performing some elemental attack when I blacked out... I never saw the attacker."

Shikamaru was sure that Lee told them everything he knew, which sadly didn't amount to a whole helluva lot. He needed to talk to Tsunade directly, but he was afraid of the other things he might ask given the opportunity. Those other questions teased at the back of his mind constantly.

Since Lee was finished Shikamaru to lighten the mood a little and be a wiseguy. He whistled in amazement. "Wow Lee, you had to jump on top old lady Tsunade while she was naked? It does sound like you had it tough."

He was so out of it, that Rock Lee missed the humor and responded in dead seriousness. "You'd think she would look old in the bath," he said, "but actually she's quite young looking, even down to...Itai! Tenten let go! I'm injured!"

Tenten was gritting her teeth as she made an attempt to pick Lee up off the floor by his ear. She growled at him, "You're not that hurt if you can describe what Tsunade looks like without clothes on!"

Shikamaru and Sakura were laughing at the couple's when they heard the room quiet down around them. They all turned to see the Hokage standing on the shoulder of a massive looking man who Shikamaru recognized immediately as Choji's dad, Akimichi Chomaru. Tsunade was in a fuzzy bathrobe that was a bright fluorescent green with a bright orange towel wrapped up around her hair. She looked fresh out of the shower.

All the ninja waited intently. The percussive sound of water splashing from a ruined showerhead played solo in background as the Hokage addressed the crowd.

"Thank you for all visiting this beautiful sunny morning. I hope you all like what I've done with the place," she said pausing for a laugh that didn't really materialize. "First, I let me say that I am fine and the attempt was thwarted successfully."

"Was it the Sound, Hokage-sama?" called someone from the crowd.

"We don't know yet who it was..." she continued, "but I just finished up with the ANBU and we should know more shortly. I want to be clear. Right now we are not a war with another nation... and I don't believe we will be. This was an act by one person whose purpose is unclear. No more."

The Hokage looked hard at the assembly, her gaze creeping into the eyes of each person there. She lingered in that silence until her message appeared understood. Tsunade did not like mixing words. After a weighty pause, Tsunade smiled brightly. "Ok! Now I want all of you out of my house! Jounin should report to the Council chamber, I'll be down shortly, for everyone else, missions and classes will proceed as normal. Jaa, everyone."

Groans and mumbling could be heard as many of leaf shinobi who still had questions were forced to depart without answers. The knowledge that more would be revealed later did little to ease their minds. The Jounin around the room disappear in clouds of smoke as other ninja sprang away in all directions, onto their other duties.

Hinata ran up to her team members through the rapidly clearing space. "Gomenasai," she said, "I was on the other side when Hokage-sama started talking."

Shikamaru welcomed her with wave before addressed the group. "Ok, Hinata and Tenten will take Lee to the hospital and then we'll all report to administration for orders from Anko."

"Did you have something for me to do before then," asked Sakura.

The corners of Shikamaru's mouth twisted up a little. "I thought you'd want to go home first, you know, just to remember what it looked like," he teased. Sakura turned as pink as her hair as they all laughed good- naturedly at her expense. Shikamaru wasn't sure what prompted him to say that. After two years their brand of humor was finally rubbing off on him. "I need to hang out with guys more," he thought.

The open expanse of the Hokage's house had cleared except for them. Hinata and Tenten helped Rock Lee, who was drifting in and out of consciousness, up to his feet while their team members waited till they were ready to move him.

"Stop right there, Shikamaru!"

The chuunin cringed as her heard his name called. He had forgotten that he sort of wanted to talk to Tsunade earlier. He realized now he could care less and just wanted to be done with the whole damn thing, alas Tsunade was not leaving him that option.

He turned to see the Godaime Hokage stride over to them in all her glory. As she approached in robe and towel, he noted that even the antennae of her 'Happy-as-a-Snail' fuzzy slippers had a swagger to their bobbling. She really needed to close the top of her robe a little more too. The woman had no shame.

"Good morning, ladies!" she said as she reached them.

"Ohayou Hokage-sama." His team said in unison.

"Geez, "he thought, "They sound like they practice that."

The Hokage placed a hand on her hip as she smiled at him in that feline way that always threw him off guard. He knew, she knew it did that and he also knew, that she knew, he knew... what a bother.

"Did you need something Hokage-sama?" he asked trying to sound impatient.

The Hokage answered his smart question by addressing Tenten. "Lee did a great job today, please take good care of him for me."

"Hai!" said Tenten with a fiery nod.

The Hokage looked distant for a moment before she spoke. "Yes Shikamaru- kun, we need to talk, but first I have to handle something." She turned to look at her bedroom door. It led to the only untouched room in the place.

Tsunade cleared her throat a little and said, "Thank you for waiting until I finished with that, please come out now."

The door opened slowly and out walked one of the last people Shikamaru expected to see. Sweat beaded on his brow as he felt an immense desire to runaway at that moment. He started edging backwards.

Tenten stepped forward was nearly snarling as she recognized a ninja she knew very well.

"Temari of the Sand!"

To Be Continued