Whoop! Got another update for you! :D

Not much to say, just thanks again for the favs/reviews. Oh, and this one is sort of different, but the idea had been bouncing around my head for a while. Hope you like it!

I don't own Naruto. (And you all should be grateful that I don't. There would be major DRAMA. XD )

Ino and Choji

"Look how cute you look!" Ino cooed, readjusting the bow in the baby's hair.

Choji blanched. "She looks like she belongs on top of a cake, Ino."

"I know!" Ino squealed. "I could just eat her up!"

The one-year-old blinked, her tiny frame completely lost under the monstrosity of a dress she wore. She blinked around all the ruffles and bows.

Ino squealed again, taking another picture. Her camera was quickly filling with photos of her favorite little girl wearing over-the-top outfits.

Choji chewed thoughtfully. "You realize she's going to be livid with you once she's old enough to know better."

"We all have photos of ourselves from when we were younger that we might not like," Ino replied distractedly.

"And that Temari is going to kill you."

Ino rolled her eyes. "She's going to thank me one day. I'm documenting her daughter's life while she's on missions!"

Choji sighed. "Our babysitting privileges are probably going to be revoked."

Ino smiled slyly. "I guess that means you'll have to give me another baby to coddle."

Naruto

Sighing, Shikamaru handed his daughter over to Naruto. "Why do I think this is a bad idea?" he murmured to himself.

Naruto beamed, taking the baby enthusiastically. "Thanks, Shikamaru! I'll be real careful, I promise!"

"Yeah yeah," the shadow manipulator replied lazily. "Remember, if Temari ever finds out, we're dead."

Naruto shook his head vigorously, a look of horror on his face. Shikari looked up at him curiously.

"Okay then." Shikamaru yawned, walking to the door. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

And with that, Uzumaki Naruto and Nara Shikari were left alone in the Hokage's office.

"Jeez," Naruto muttered to himself. He didn't doubt Temari's ability to murder, and him being dead greatly hindered his dream of being Hokage. "Let's not tell your mom, okay? It'll be our little secret."

Shikari gurgled happily, and Naruto took that as agreement. He grinned, tickling her cheek with a finger. "This isn't hard at all!"

The door to the office opened, and Tsunade slugged in, clearly hungover. "Oi, brat. Did you read those books that I told you—" She paused, noticing the extra person present for the first time. She sighed, her headache steadily growing. "What is this?" she asked tiredly, vaguely gesturing towards the intruder.

"I'm babysitting!" Naruto responded excitedly.

"Clearly." Tsunade finally made her way into her seat, rubbing her temples. "And does Nara Temari know that you are babysitting her child? Unattended?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "Eheheheh...about that…"

"I don't want to know," Tsunade interrupted. "The less I know, the better."

Naruto's face fell. "Baa-chan, I know that this is bad timing. I know you wanted to teach me more about being Hokage. But this was the only time that Shikamaru could let me have her for a little while! And how am I supposed to be a good father if I don't practice?"

Tsunade's face softened as she looked at him—the boy who grew up without a father, without a family, and yet had a pregnant wife at home and constantly worried about it. "You worry too much, kid," she mused, holding out her arms. "Give her to me. You won't be able to study with one arm."

Happy again, Naruto handed her over, babbling as he did so. "I only have to stay here for a little bit, Shikari-chan! Then we can go to the park or something! Thanks, baa-chan!"

"Don't call me that," Tsunade responded irritably. Her annoyance only grew as Shikari spit up, dripping a warm white goo all over Tsunade's front.

"Aww, I think she likes you!" Naruto piped up.

A large vein throbbed in the Hokage's forehead.

Gaara

"Ji-chan," Shikari smiled. "This is my boyfriend Yamamoto Jiro."

Gaara looked at the boy, his gaze unwavering.

Jiro seemed to wither under the Kazekage's stare. He gripped Shikari's hand tightly.

Gaara cocked his head slightly, earning a flinch from the boy. "Aren't you too young to be dating?" he asked his niece mildly.

Shikari rolled her eyes. "Ji-chan, I'm sixteen. Now are you going to be nice or not?"

Gaara's attention finally moved to Shikari. The boy visibly relaxed. Wimp. "I'll be nice."

"Good." She turned to her cowardly boyfriend. "See? He likes you," she whispered.

If it wasn't bad behavior for a Kazekage, Gaara would have snorted. The moment she realized how much of a tool this Jiro was, Gaara was pushing her towards the Uzumaki boy.

Shikaku

He was awake. He wasn't sure why, as his wife was still snoring beside him and a look outside his window confirmed that it was, in fact still night. And he was definitely still tired. He questioned the sanity of anyone who decided intruding on a Nara household during the night—with a full moon, no less.

So, all of these possibilities ruled out, Shikaku looked towards his bedroom door.

Just as he expected, little feet could be heard padding to the door, and soon a little face appeared. Shikari looked tired, but upset.

"Come here, little one," he said quietly, careful not to wake up Yoshino.

Shikari sniffled, the feet of her footsie pajamas making little sounds as she made her way to his side of the bed. "I had a scary dream," she whimpered in explanation. "Tou-chan and kaa-chan didn't come back."

"Now now," Shikaku responded, lifting her up and laying her onto his chest. "We both know they'll always come back for you."

"Really?" she sniffled into his neck.

As long as they were breathing, Shikaku knew that they would always be there, singing to her and teaching her and loving her. But, seeing as that was a little too morbid to say to a toddler, he answered simply, "Of course."

And, rubbing comforting circles into his granddaughter's back as she drifted back to sleep, Shikaku marveled at his luck in life.

Kankuro

"Okay," Kankuro started, looking down at his niece, "it's really simple. All you have to do is pretend you're my daughter."

"But why, Kan-chan?" Shikari asked, as curious as only a five-year-old could be.

"Because!" Kankuro replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Then the ladies would be all over me! Every girl loves a loving, paternal man."

Shikari glanced around at all the women in the market. "But I don't think they would like being lied to."

"They won't know they're being lied to if we don't act like they are." Kankuro looked at her pointedly. "Right?"

Shikari's eyebrows furrowed, her bottom lip sticking out prominently. "I thought you said that we would do something fun," she complained, her eyes starting to well up. "Not lie to people."

The puppet master immediately felt terrible. He knelt down to her height, ruffling her hair lovingly. "I'm sorry. You're right."

Shikari sniffed, tears threatening to fall.

Kankuro sighed, mentally kicking himself, and wrapped his niece into a hug. "Let's go get some ice cream, okay?"

"Okay," she said into his shoulder.

A civilian woman, having watched the entire exchange from a few booths over, approached them. She smiled shyly. "She's adorable," she said in greeting.

Kankuro stood, Shikari still in his arms. "Thank you."

The woman glanced at the little girl, whose face was still buried in her uncle's shoulder. "Is she your daughter?" she asked curiously.

"No." Kankuro smiled. "She's my niece."

The woman blushed. "Forgive me for assuming so. It's just...you were so natural at it…"

Shikari smiled into her uncle's neck. "You're welcome," she whispered into his ear.

Kankuro's eyes widened in realization.

That girl was just too damn smart for her own good.

Yoshino

Temari was never afraid.

She was a warrior, always prepared to leap into the heat of battle, never worried, never nervous.

Now, however, Shikamaru could tell she felt all of those things. Now, she realized just how much she had to lose.

"Be good for your baa-chan, okay?" Temari kissed the top of her daughter's head, her eyes misting over.

Shikari blinked her doe eyes. Normally, she was a happy, giggly baby. But now, embraced in her father's arms, she looked at her parents with surprisingly serious expression.

Shikamaru obsessively smoothed her hair, trying to ignore the panic swelling in his chest. He listened as Temari nervously babbled, telling Yoshino when Shikari had last eaten, and they would be back as soon as they could, and to make sure to stay close to the guards.

Next to his mother, Tenten stood. Her wavy hair cascaded down her back, and she looked visibly upset. "You better come back," she snarled, unconsciously running a hand across the broad expanse of her belly and readjusting the red-haired baby in her arms. "If you don't, I'll never forgive you."

Neji's eyes softened. "I know." He leaned forward, brushing her lips with his. "Be safe."

Her bottom lip trembled. "I should be saying that to you, idiot."

An Anbu soldier appeared, warning them all that it was time to go. Neji nodded once in affirmation, and with a single glance to Tenten, darted out of sight.

It was too much for Tenten and her hormones—she burst into tears. Temari hugged her tightly, attempting to comfort herself as much as her friend.

A tugging on his vest brought Shikamaru's attention back to his daughter. She still looked serious, her little eyebrows knotted in a frown. "Bye bye?"

And it was then that he realized that, despite only being two, Nara Shikari completely understood that her parents might not ever come back.

Overcome with emotion, he kissed her in answer, quickly handing her to his mother.

Yoshino's face was carefully blank. "Don't worry about us," she said, rubbing comforting circles on the Tenten's back. "I'll make sure the little ones are okay. You just worry about coming home."

He nodded once, kissing his mother on the cheek.

Temari tightened her forehead protector, her expression hardening with resolve. "Let's go."

And then he was suddenly hit with determination, so intensely it almost hurt.

War would not tear his family apart.

A/N: Not sure whether this war is the current war or a completely made up one...but it's definitely not canon. I actually think some good oneshots could come from this war...hmm... *author plots*

Let me know. :)