I do not own Naruto.
like i'm gonna lose you
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Chiyuki calls him 'dad' one day.
It happens during one of the better days, on a sunny afternoon that seems to light up the entire clan compound. The girl had woken up in a good mood, and he'd been relieved to see her smile, no matter how small it was. It was a stark contrast against the worst days, when her demons become too much for the child to handle and she closes in on herself.
She's helping out Ensui polish his weapons, a comfortable silence between them, and Shikaku has the dangerous thought that she fits very well in the clan.
"Dear, can you tell Chiyuki-chan to come find me after she's done?" Yoshino pokes her head out of the sitting room, pausing at the look on her husband's face. "Shikaku?"
The man hums back, signaling that he's heard her, but that's not what she meant.
The Nara matriarch sighs, heart aching for both the child and her husband, but someone has to knock some sense into him before the situation gets even more complicated.
"Shikaku… don't get too attached, hm?" The clan head glances at his wife's tone of voice, knowing it's a serious issue - but not one he hasn't thought about a million times.
"...I know." Yoshino doesn't like the fond look he has in his dark eyes when he turns back to look at Chiyuki, and she doesn't like the blatant favoritism he shows her, simply because-
"It'll only make it harder to let her go." She says in an unusually soft voice, fearing the heartbreak both her husband and the girl will suffer. If she could, she'd adopt the blonde child in a second, love her unconditionally and watch her grow, but clan politics are more delicate than fine china, and the woman will not put the traumatized child through a custody trial.
No matter how much she thinks about it.
"I know." Shikaku repeats, a heavy sigh escaping out of his chest. He knows.
He does know, and it might as well kill him.
Yoshino leaves him be, letting himself be alone with his thoughts. The clan head watches as Chiyuki starts to walk in the direction of their house, apparently done with her task. As soon as she's within hearing range, he says;
"Yoshino said to look for her when you're done."
The reply is instant and thoughtless, something that comes as easily as breathing.
"I'll be there in a sec, dad."
The world stops for a single second.
Shikaku watches as the girl's face morphs into an expression of horror and embarrassment, red blush spreading to her neck. His own heart seems to skip a beat, and for this brief moment he allows himself to preen and pretend there's nothing wrong with being called 'dad' by the Sandaime's daughter.
The Nara patriarch forces a chuckle out, getting up from his position on the porch and ruffling the blonde's hair, trying to turn the atmosphere into something lighter.
There's a lot to unpack in that single sentence, but neither are ready for that conversation just yet. For now, they'll continue to do their best, one day at a time.
.
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I know y'all were expecting a Jiraya POV but inspiration punched me in the face and I couldn't let myself drown in my feels all alone.