"Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better." – Henry Rollins

Despite being in a time of relative peace, life for Shikaku Nara was routinely busy. As Jonin Commander and being the head of his clan there was often little down time. Much less so since Shikamaru had been born. While Yoshino took on most of the parenting tasks, Shikaku made sure to spend as much time with his son as he possibly could. He'd been teaching Shikamaru shogi and he was quickly grasping the intricacies of the game despite his young age.

On top of everything the simmering tension beneath Konoha's peaceful image was constantly threatening to rise to the surface. Tension wasn't anything new in a shinobi village but no real effort had been made towards a resolution and even Shikaku couldn't stop himself from questioning the Hokage's leadership. He was still loyal to the man but there was a clear lack of control Hiruzen had over the village, more specifically the council.

Any shinobi worth their salt could see the growing restlessness in the Uchiha clan; it had been amplified since the night of the Kyuubi attack. Shikaku had scoffed when he heard rumors about the blame being placed on the Uchihas for the events of that night. Mostly by civilians but he didn't doubt there were some shinobi who felt similarly. Grief makes you desperate to find someone to blame. For him, and anyone else who had a brain, that particular accusation didn't make sense since the Uchiha were hit the hardest that night. They lost good men and women who fought bravely for the sake of their loved ones. Like they all had done.

There wasn't any outright ostracization of the clan members at this point but there was unease amongst the civilian population. Civilians had always been wary of shinobi, they were regarded as nothing more than living weapons half the time and if you added a kekkei genkai into the mix then that weariness would carry an underlying sense of fear with it.

It didn't help that the Uchiha clan members could be, for lack of a better word, socially stunted. But even that wasn't the right description for them, they were blunt. Often overly blunt, they didn't mince words and it made them appear arrogant. Some were genuinely arrogant, thinking themselves superior, but overall they were just as peace loving as the rest of the clans in Konoha.

He was grateful for Fukagu's influence on the clan. Fugaku was level-headed and a good shinobi, at times a little prideful but the same could be said for anyone really. Fugaku didn't simply sway to the whims of the clan elders but pacifying them was a never ending battle. Add in clans members who were disgruntled at the tiniest whiff of disrespect and the mounting pressure to act would only increase.

Shikaku let out a deep sigh that drew his companions' attention. They were having their weekly get together and currently making their way towards this week's restaurant of choice.

"What's got you in such a mood? If you slouch down any further you'll end up on the ground." Inoichi had a gleam in his eye, one that told him that there was no point in denying the fact that something was bothering him. Shikaku sighed again and only mumbled out a half-hearted 'troublesome.'

He wasn't quite ready to share his thoughts with Inoichi and Choza yet. His friends shared a knowing look but didn't press further, instead Inoichi continued regalling them with how positively adorable his daughter looked earlier that morning. A sly smirk crossed Shikaku's features, Inoichi was such a sucker for his daughter's sea green eyes and deceptively innocent smile. The girl was going to get away with murder at this rate.

The mid-summer weather made for warm afternoons even as the sun began its descent from the sky, coloring it with deep oranges, reds and light purples. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio had chosen to take a more scenic route to the restaurant, wanting to avoid the mass of people that tended to fill Konoha's streets during this time in the afternoon.

The conversation flowed, most of it revolving around their children, before Inoichi paused in his step, "What on earth?"

Shikaku followed his line of sight and his eyebrows pulled together when he saw a mop of pink hair. For a few seconds they remained still but it wasn't long until Shikaku felt their simultaneous unease at the sight of a very small child lying face down in the dirt. Flashes of bloodied battle grounds and lifeless eyes flashed through his mind. They were fast but cautious in their approach, Shikaku did a scan of the area, checking for any indication of foul play as Inoichi moved to address the child.

"Hey kid, you alright?" With gentle hands Inoichi rolled the child onto their back and they were met with emerald eyes that would no doubt give the Daimyo's most prized jewels a run for their money.

Sakura blinked rapidly, she had been trying to get her limbs to cooperate for the past few minutes when she was suddenly flipped onto her back. The sight that greeted her was enough to leave her more than a little starstruck. There, hovering above her, was Inoichi Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi and freaking Shikaku Nara.

'Wow.'

Her cheeks heated when she realized that they were waiting for her response, she could see clear concern building behind their eyes.

'I probably looked dead a second ago.'

"Um, hello." Sakura's face scrunched at the rather lame response, "I think I'm fine thank you for asking." She really couldn't get any lamer at this rate. All three men shared inquisitive looks before Inoichi took initiative once more, "Are you sure you're alright? Did something happen?"

"Uh, I was meditating and then when I got up I fell down?"

'Stellar explanation Sakura, really well done.'

Her cheeks heated some more and she was sure she looked like an overripe tomato. Shikaku was the one to speak next, "What were you doing?" His eyes were really intense, kind but intense.

Sakura nervously licked her lips, "I was trying to do a chakra exercise." All three men nodded and that was probably all she really needed to say but before she could react her mouth began moving on its own, "It's not as easy as it looks you know. I mean I get the whole concept, that the center is at the stomach and the pathways run all across your body but how are you supposed to know if you're doing it right?"

Words continued to tumble from her mouth and her brain had a hard time taking control. She was fully aware that she was rambling but couldn't stop, there was no one else she could vent to and they had made themselves convenient by just standing there.

"Also, why the heck is there nowhere that explains exactly how your own chakra is supposed to feel? I know the signatures vary from person to person but why isn't there some sort of guide on figuring out what your own chakra is meant to feel like? Shouldn't that be something that's written down instead of the overly detailed history on chakra origin. Not that it's not important to know where chakra comes from but how was it not important to make even a tiny note on identifying your own chakra? Seriously, it's very frustrating."

Her brain finally managed to snap her mouth shut and her face practically burst into flames as she took in the stunned expressions of the three clan heads. 'Good Lord, let's hope I never get interrogated.' A small burst of panic crawled to the surface when her brain fully processed the potential consequences of her ramble. They wouldn't harm her, not without cause, but she wasn't sure if any other kids, even clan kids, would go on tangents regarding chakra control.

This made her begin to wonder about the developmental rates of children in this world. Obviously there were the exceptionals like Itachi or Kakashi who both excelled in academics and skill but what would be considered the 'average' baseline in this world? She herself couldn't be considered a prodigy since her conscience was that of an adult and she had a cheat sheet of sorts but even that was limited. Just because she knew about this world and how things worked didn't mean she fully understood it. So if you took away the prodigies and her own bizarre situation then what were the development rates for 'ordinary' kids in this world. Were shinobi kids naturally more intelligent or physically inclined? Could civilians be considered the same as the people of her old world? Was it just up to the internal and external factors surrounding the child or was it just one over the other?

Sakura snapped back to reality when Choza gave out a lighthearted chuckle, "Sounds like a rough time." The three men had adopted more relaxed postures and she willed her cheeks not to heat up any further. She failed, obviously.

She did note how much less restricted her chest felt after her little rant and it made her realize just how much she had been keeping to herself. It felt good to get some of it off her chest but that didn't make up for the absolute mortification she felt, "I'm sorry." She managed to sit herself upright.

Inoichi ruffled her hair, "Don't be sorry kid. Is this the first time you tried a chakra exercise?" He continued when she gave an affirming nod, "Then you probably have some mild chakra exhaustion since your body isn't used to you actively moving it around."

'Well that makes sense.'

"You need to be more careful though, chakra exhaustion can be really dangerous for someone your age." She nodded as he continued to tell her about the risk of doing chakra exercises unsupervised. Any embarrassment she might have felt at his scolding was overpowered by the elation of having mild chakra exhaustion. It meant that she had successfully managed to purposefully move her own chakra throughout her body.

'Let's not make a habit out of it though.'

Shikaku hung back as he watched Inoichi fuss over the small girl. Small might have been generous, she was tiny. He watched on as she nodded absentmindedly at Inoichi's lecture, though she looked thoroughly embarrassed and apologetic at her inexperience regarding chakra exercises, Shikaku could tell her mind was beginning to wander. He could practically hear the gears turning in her head.

Deciding to take pity on her and speed things along, they still had to eat, he interrupted Inoichi mid-sentence, "Alright kid, let's get you home." Though it would take longer to get to the restaurant depending on where she lived, Shikaku didn't feel comfortable leaving her there on her own. Especially since she had already collapsed once.

Sakura once again snapped back into focus, her eyes wide as she fully registered what Shikaku had said. 'Not a good idea.' Quickly shaking her head she clambered to her feet, "No, no. That's alright, I'm fine. I can make it home." She hoped the smile on her face was reassuring, her limbs still felt like lead but she was sure she'd get home without faceplanting again. It might take longer than usual but there was absolutely no way she was going to let them take her home.

Not out of pride but out of apprehension for how her mother would react to having her daughter brought home by three men who were shinobi and who also happened to be the heads of their clans.

Her discomfort at the idea of them taking her home was obvious, you didn't need to be a trained expert to see it, and the three men could take a guess as to why. She was probably a civilian and she was practicing chakra control on her own so that meant she wanted to join the academy. Either her family didn't know, disapproved or had a very strong dislike towards shinobi.

The three men glanced at each other, all having come to similar conclusions. Shikaku decided to compromise, "Tell you what, we'll walk with you until we need to go our separate ways." Sakura hesitated, that was a fair option, it would look like they were sharing the road and no one would be any wiser. The three men before her were clearly insistent on making sure she was okay so if walking some of the way with them would ease their worries then she'd suck it up. She could always make up an excuse about having needed directions and that they were kind enough to guide her.

Shikaku snickered at how her nose scrunched up in acceptance of his proposal. Inouchi beamed, "Well now I'd say we should introduce ourselves to the lovely lady." Good grief if her face wasn't already bright red then this might have done it. Not only did she realize that she hadn't introduced herself, how rude, but Inoichi was making a scene with his dramatics. 'Good thing there isn't anyone else here.'

Giving her best bow, Sakura introduced herself, "Hello, I'm Haruno Sakura. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well Sakura-chan. I'm Inoichi, this Choza and the grump over there is Shikaku." She giggled at the half-hearted glare Shikaku directed to his former teammate as he proceeded to slump into what could only be considered the Nara pout. She noted that Inoichi didn't give her their last names and wondered if it was intentional. Perhaps in an effort not to make her uncomfortable?

She didn't stop to ponder it though since they were waiting for her and were clearly heading somewhere before coming across her so she wanted to cause as little delay to them as possible. She retrieved her back from its hiding spot before they set off. Ino was definitely Inouchi's daughter, she had no idea how much of a chatterbox the man was.

"So Sakura-chan, how old are you?"

"I turned four in March Inoichi-san." She had to do a double take when literal sparkles started appearing surrounding the man, "Oh you're the same age as my precious Ino!"

'Is there some kind of sparkle jutsu?'

Sakura gave an awkward chuckle as Inoichi continued gushing over his daughter. A sliver of envy made itself known at the clear adoration the man had for Ino. Internally, she scolded herself. There was no point in being jealous, her father may not have been the most affectionate or present individual but she could have ended up with far worse.

'Doesn't soften the sting though.'

Regardless, she was finding herself enjoying their unexpected company. She still hadn't made any attempt at befriending kids her own age. While she realized that she'd need to start interacting with them at some point, she hadn't actually been able to make herself get around to doing it. Mostly because she didn't really know what to do or how to approach this situation. As an actual kid back in her old world, making friends had been easy. Heck her best friend became her friend by simply sitting next to her in the sandbox. Her current penchant for overthinking everything wasn't helping either. She'd need to make friends from a safety standpoint as well. A civilian kid choosing to stick on their own and practicing skills for the academy would surely end up on someone's radar eventually and the thought made her internally shiver.

Anyway the walk they shared together ended fairly quickly. The three men said their farewells and Inoichi made Sakura promise to be more careful before they went their separate ways. She watched them leave for a few minutes before resuming on her own journey.

Setting aside the mild chakra exhaustion, she'd say that today was pretty successful.

Thanks again for reading!

See you in the next chapter