A/N: Masago-Sand, Aiko-Beloved Child, Ogetsuno-Japanese Food Goddess, Mikka-Three Days. Onegai-please, Gomen-sorry

Disclaimer: Still not Kishimoto

Chapter 4

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Onegai Tsunade-sama, you're telling me there's nothing you can do? " Shikamaru stood over Tsunade's desk pleading, "what's the point of being the Hokage?"

Tsunade pursed her lips, "Shikamaru-san, I've read through the contract three times, it's ironclad. The marriage broker who wrote this up knew what they were doing. The only way to get out of it is to die, or for Ino-san to marry Chouji-san." She reached across her desk and touched his hand, "gomen."

The Shadow-Nin fell back into his chair.

"Why," Tsunade asked, "if you and Ino-san are both so against this marriage did you sign the contract?"

"I didn't want to dishonor my father," Shikamaru replied, his shoulder sagging.

"So you let him dishonor you?"

Tsunade couldn't hold back the anger in her voice. She'd had it with these damn clans and their stupid ideas. The Hyuugas were enough of a handful, did the Naras have to follow in their footsteps? She suspected that sake may have played a role in this, and decided it was time to have a talk with the famed Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

"Listen Shikamaru-san," she said folding her hands on top of the contract. "I'll talk to your father and Inoichi-san, but I can't make any promises."

"Arigatou gozaimasu," Shikamaru bowed deeply, feeling relieved for the first time in months.

o-o-o

Temari wore a white yukata and carried a small bouquet of daffodils. Baki wore a red hapi coat over his normal uniform. Kankurou sat on a bench in the sunny courtyard next to his girlfriend, Ayame who had journeyed from Konoha with her father for the occasion. Kashike served as bridesmaid, and Hosyu stood next to Baki as his best man while Gaara performed the ceremony. Despite the red lanterns, noone was disillusioned into thinking that this was anything other than a shotgun wedding.

"Do you have any names picked out Temari-san?" Ayame asked as the small party sat eating the wedding feast.

"Masago," Kankurou replied.

"Aiko," Gaara countered.

"I thought we decided on Ogetsuno," Hoysu asked turning to Baki for confirmation.

"Her name will be Mikka," Temari stated leaving no room for argument.

"Those are all girl names," Ayame's father, Teuchi smiled. "What if the baby's a boy?"

"It's a girl," Temari replied simply.

"Nani? You got the test done?" Kankurou asked. "I wanna see the pictures!"

"It's a girl," Temari stated matter-of -factly, "because Shikamaru always wanted a girl first."

At that same moment the baby kicked in agreement.

o-o-o

A few weeks later, Shikamaru stood between his father and the Hokage waiting for Ino and her father to walk down the aisle, (his mother had stayed home, convinced that an attack from Sunagakure was imminent). As Ino made her way slowly towards him, Shikamaru decided that "walk" was too strong a word for her movements. The dress Ino had chosen was so tight he wondered how she could breathe let alone move. He said a silent prayer that there were no sudden emergencies.

Encased as it was in white satin, Shikamaru had no choice but to notice the shape of Ino's body. He supposed her form was attractive in it's own way, but it was nowhere near as awe-inspiring as Temari's more curvaceous physique. He sighed knowing he'd never have the opportunity to touch her, let alone see the Suna Kunoichi ever again, since Gaara's former pupil, Matsuri had taken over as Sunagakure's Ambassador to Konoha.

Shikaku overheard his son's sigh and smiled.

"Hai, she'd beautiful ne? Just a little while longer and she's all yours." He clasped his son's shoulder. "You don't know how happy you've made me, Shikamaru. You're fulfilling the dream of a lifetime."

Before Shikamaru could reply, a door in the back of the hall slammed open. One hundred heads turned to see who the intruder was.

Akimichi Chouji stood silhouetted in the light of the dying sun, bald, redfaced and panting; his monk's robes a tangle of fabric around his body. Suddenly he threw his head back and shouted, "INOOOO! STOP! DON'T DO IT!"

"CHOUJI!" The blonde shrieked. Letting go of her father's arm, Ino hiked her dress up around her knees and tore back down the aisle into Chouji's waiting arms covering him with kisses.

Inoichi's initial shock turned to glee at his daughter's obvious happiness. Chouza cheered and Shikaku stood dumbfounded as his would-be daughter-in-law whispered apologies to her lover. For his part, Shikamaru shook with laughter.

The younger Shadow-Nin was given the honor of tearing his marriage contract to pieces, and offered his back to Chouji as another was signed in it's place. Within a half hour, Ino was prancing down the aisle, this time on Shikamaru's arm, her face alight with happiness as she stared into the eyes of her beloved.

Watching his daughter and her two best friends, Inoichi patted Shikaku on the back.

"At least it was one of the boys ne?"

Once he'd handed Ino over to Chouji, Shikamaru sat down next to his father and as his two best friends recited the vows that he longed to make to Temari.