Dearest Readers,

You know what's in this chapter…time lapse.

Read on, Cherubs.

Over and out.

The Journey Begins

"I feel old." Ino said as she looked down at the '22' written in white icing on her birthday cake.

"You feel old? Ino, you're still a baby." Kurenai said, smiling down at her from her place at the table in their usual 'hang-out' place at the ramen restaurant.

"Alright, Ino, make a wish and blow out the candles…I want some cake." Sakura said, smiling brightly at her from across the table.

Ino returned the smile and looked down at the cake, her eye catching the cloud-pattern near the top of the cake. She felt her heart ache and her face fell slightly. She turned back towards the candles and squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating hard.

I wish Shikamaru would come back.

She blew out the candle and Sakura instantly started cutting the cake before they had the chance to remove the candles. Ino smiled at them all, her smile feeling slightly forced. This was the third year that she had to celebrate her birthday without Shikamaru…he usually got her flower seeds that grew into the most beautiful flowers that she's ever seen.

"Ino, what's wrong?" Choji asked, noticing her fallen face. She looked back at him, trying to hide her sadness but found that she couldn't. She nodded towards the cloud-pattern on the cake and they knew what she was thinking of: Shikamaru. Ino sighed deeply, trying to make herself cheerful again.

"I shouldn't be eating cake because it'll blow my diet, but who cares?" She said, smiling widely indicating that she didn't want to dwell on Shikamaru.

Even though Shikamaru's departure had hurt them extremely, when they returned to the village after failing to find him last year…they found that he didn't occupy their minds as much as he used too. They've come to terms with the fact that he left and that they had to let him go.

ItachiXShikamaru

Sasuke sat on a high tree branch, gazing up at the stars, knowing…somewhere…that he could be watching them too. After they parted from celebrating Ino's birthday, he came here, not wanting to be around people. Hatred burned inside of him as he remembered this day for another reason: the night that Itachi massacred their clan.

"What are you doing up here by yourself?" A voice asked from next to him and he turned to see Naruto climb onto the branch next to him. Sasuke clenched his teeth tightly and turned his gaze back to the stars: Naruto was the last person he wanted to see right now.

"Leave me alone, Naruto." He growled, glaring at the sky.

"Not until you tell me what's bothering you. You seemed really angry for the whole night…why?" Sasuke felt his hatred and anger burn again.

"You would be pissed off too if tonight marked the night that your clan was killed." He hissed, glaring at Naruto who gulped.

"S-sorry, Sasuke…I shouldn't have pried."

"Then leave." Normally, Naruto would already be shouting at Sasuke, but he knew when to set aside their rivalry and his pride.

"Alright…I'll…see you later then." Naruto hopped to the ground, glanced up at Sasuke with worry and slowly left.

He hated starry nights…with a passion. To most people, they were beautiful and mysterious. To him, they only brought back the memories of the night his clan was murdered…by his brother…the sky had many stars that night.

Sasuke sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. Little did he know that his hated older brother was gazing at the stars as well.

ItachiXShikamaru

"Itachi…Itachi, look what I can do." Shikamaru said as he balanced a bowl of ramen noodles on his baby bump, looking at it with great concentration.

"That's true talent right there, Love."

With the delivery date just 2 weeks away, they decided to rent a hotel room in the nearby village in case Shikamaru went into labor early. To disguise Itachi's identity in case anyone in the village knew who he was, they decided to go to the small hospital so that way there was less of a chance of someone recognizing him. Even though it was still February, it felt like Spring outside.

Shikamaru was smiling at the baby clothes they brought with them to dress the girls in when they could leave the hospital. They're so small. As he was setting aside a pale blue dress, he felt a searing pain shoot through his body, making him cry out in pain.

"What's wrong?" Itachi asked, at his side immediately. Shikamaru took painful breaths, never feeling this much pain in his life. "Love, please say something, what is wrong?" Shikamaru clenched his teeth as another wave of pain washed over him.

"I-tach-i…they want…out…now."

ItachiXShikamaru

He released another scream of pain as he felt his body being split in two. Itachi wanted to scream in pain as well because of the death grip Shikamaru had his hand in.

"You're almost there, Hun. Give me one more push." Shikamaru screamed again and then they heard crying. Shikamaru let out a small laugh as he heard that noise and Itachi smiled as he saw the nurse cleaning her.

"Alright, Hun, one more time."

"I can't do it again." Shikamaru said breathlessly as Itachi stroked his hair.

"Yes you can, Hun. Now give me a push." Shikamaru's screaming filled the room again as the second girl was being brought into the world. Crying was heard and Shikamaru felt his body collapse from exhaustion.

"You did very well, Love." Itachi said quietly, placing a kiss on his hot forehead.

"Here's the oldest," a nurse said, handing her to Shikamaru. "And here's the youngest." Another nurse said, handing the other girl to Itachi. The nurses left the room to give them privacy as they looked at the girls.

They were both beautiful in every way imaginable. Shikamaru looked down at his…daughter…fondly, marveling at the resemblance she has of Itachi. Midnight black hair laid softly on the top of her head and her wide, black, innocent eyes looked up at him, curious about who he was. Shikamaru smiled, feeling his eyes becoming wet as he brushed a finger gently against her cheek.

Itachi observed him, smiling. He returned his attention back to his…daughter in his arms. He felt how her legs were slightly twisted on his arm…this was the one with the defect; but he couldn't help but see himself in the girl as wide, black, innocent eyes stared up at him, wondering who the man was that was holding her. He stroked her midnight black hair, feeling its softness against his fingers. Her hands stuck out of her blanket and he played with her hands with one of his fingers. His eyes grew wide and his breath got caught in his throat as she wrapped her hand around his finger, not able to wrap her fingers around the whole way. Shikamaru smiled over at them, seeing Itachi's reaction. He looked back down at the girl in his arms.

"What should we name them?" He asked gently, stroking the girl's face. Itachi looked down at the girl in his arms who was still holding his finger. They talked a lot about names, but they never settled on anything.

"How about you name that one," he said nodding towards the girl in Shikamaru's arms, "and I'll name this one…if we both agree."

"That sounds fair." Silence fell between them as they looked at the daughter they were holding, thinking of the perfect name to give them. Itachi smiled as a name entered his mind…one that he's always liked. He stroked her hair again, looking down at her fondly.

"Amaranth." He said quietly, Shikamaru looking over at him and smiling.

"I like that name…that means 'an unfading flower', right?" Itachi nodded, making eye contact with him.

"I think I have one." Shikamaru said, looking back down at the girl.

"What's that?"

"Eli…'smart woman'." Itachi sat on the bed next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as they looked down at the girls.

"Eli and Amaranth…they're identical, aren't they?"

"Looks like it…besides Amaranth's legs, but that's not important."

"Love,"

"Yeah?"

"You know what today is?"

"What?"

"February 18th." Shikamaru remembered back to Itachi saying that it would be ironic if they were born in February.

"Well…look at the irony in that: we painted their room the same color as their birth stone."

Itachi looked at both of his daughters, not believing that they were a part of him…he helped…create them. They were his and nothing could change that; he placed a kiss on Shikamaru's temple, silently thanking him for giving him the 2 most beautiful and precious girls he's ever seen in his life.

ItachiXShikamaru

"They're tiny." Deidara observed when they brought Eli and Amaranth back to the Akatsuki base.

"They're babies, Deidara; of course they're going to be small." Shikamaru smiled as the blonde looked down at Eli, making an 'aw' sound.

"They're identical, I'm assuming." Kisame said as he looked down at Amaranth in Itachi's arms.

"Yeah, it's a little strange…they're like…female clones of me." Itachi said, laughing lightly along with the others.

"I bet you were in serious pain." Zetsu said to Shikamaru who gave him an 'Oh my God, don't bring that up ever again' look.

"You have no idea…it felt like I was being split in half."

They heard a sound like a cross between a coo and a yawn. Itachi smiled down at Amaranth as she opened her mouth wide, releasing the sound. Shikamaru yawned as well, prompting Itachi to make him go to bed.

"Come on, Love, you're tired."

"I'm going to be tired for the next 10 years."

ItachiXShikamaru

I really like the names Eli and Amaranth. I wanted to use Emorie, but I wanted their names to have a nice meaning behind them and Emorie sounds too American anyway.

Reviews please!

When-Rabbit-Howls