Chapter Three

"All right everyone, finish the question you're working on and put down your pencils," Minato called out to his class. Most of the class did as ordered, but he noted one student huffing desperately, eyes puffy, and pencil worn down to a nub as he scribbled furiously. "Class, begin passing your papers down to the right, and your line leader will hand them up to me as you exit."

As the papers passed, Minato watched the dark-haired child sigh in resignation, set down the worn pencil, and passed his paper to the right. Minato made a quick glance to the seating chart and gradebook, confirming what he already suspected. "Class, you'll be making your way to dojo eight for take-down drills with Konohamaru Sarutobi; I will see you all tomorrow."

The class moved from their seats, each section leader delivering papers. Minato took out his pen and hastily graded the test in question, seeing a familiar pattern. "Shingo Uchiha, please see me up front before going to take down drills; I will provide you a hall pass."

The boy sighed, resigned to his fate as the rest of the class left. He wore his jet-black hair short cropped as was stylish lately. Naruto had considered changing his hair to the same look, but thankfully, he'd been persuaded to keep his mane of spikes. As Shingo approached, the boy's rounded cheeks, dark hair, and dark eyes sent chills down Minato's spine. That kid could be Obito.

Minato's back tightened at the memory of his wayward student. The boy had potential, and it had been wasted and later twisted, like so many things touched by the Third Shinobi war. A surge of anger thundered in Minato's chest. It made no sense; Obito had died in front of Minato during the Fourth Shinobi War – reduced to dust. Still, the boy's appearance was uncanny. "You asked to see me, Lord Fourth," the boy bowed.

Minato blew out the breath he'd been holding. "Please, it's just Instructor Namikaze, or Namikaze Sensei in here," Minato stood behind his desk.

"But sir, you are the Fourth Hokage," the boy protested.

"And my wife is the Fifth Hokage," Minato laughed, "but that isn't relevant to the situation at hand, either." Before Minato could say anything further, there was a knocking on the classroom door, "Come in, son!" Naruto carried his baby sister with him through the door.

"Dad-da!" Akane wiggled from Naruto's arms and waddled to Minato. He scooped up his daughter and bounced her, "Akane, you're getting heavy!"

"Lord… um… Namikaze Sensei, I hate to interrupt," Shingo spoke.

Minato extracted the boy's test from the stack on his desk and began marking numerous errors in red. Minato then opened a desk drawer and slid the boy's last few tests toward him, "Yes, we do need to talk shop so to speak," he turned to Naruto, "and I may need your help here, son."

"Lord Fourth, I tried," the boy nearly cried, "I really did!"

"I know you did," Minato bounced his baby girl, "Sadly, dyslexia is common among shinobi with powerful bloodlines and doujustu."

"D-dyslexia!" the boy did cry now as he buried his face in his hands.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Naruto raised his hands.

"That's easy for you to say!" the kid became indignant, "You're the Orange Prince, the Hokage-in-Waiting!"

"Who is also dyslexic," Naruto raised a finger, "and please don't call me that." Naruto shook his head.

"You, dyslexic?!" the boy protested. "Right, and I'm Santa Claus!"

"Yes, Mr. Claus, and I almost failed out my first term," Naruto sighed, "Headmaster Iruka had to work extra hard on me to manage it, but I'd say he didn't do half bad!" Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously as he laughed.

"Mr. Uchiha," Minato resumed, "what we mean to tell you is that being dyslexic is not the end of the world." He shot a thumb toward his son, "And here is your proof."

"Wh-what's going to happen to me?" the boy again folded in on himself. A stone sank in Minato's stomach. Did Obito have this same issue? Did I miss a warning sign that got him and Rin killed?

"For one," Naruto thankfully broke Minato's recriminations, "You'll have to see Instructor Shino Aburame."

"The bug dude?" Shingo cocked up an eyebrow.

"He's also the special education coordinator," Minato raised a finger, "and he too has a mild learning disability."

"And he's also a war hero," Naruto added.

"Okay, but, what about my friends in this class?" the young Uchiha boy asked.

"It depends." Minato explained, "If Shino thinks things relatively mild, he might just ask you to participate in his reading class after school. If things are a bit more involved," he turned to Naruto, "then I might have to transfer you to Shino's class."

"I thought that class was for losers!" the boy crossed his arms in a huff.

"Hey," Naruto pursed his lips, as did Minato, "I was in that class myself! Do you consider me a loser?!"

The boy smirked, "I guess not," he shrugged. Arrogant as his clan patriarch. Some things never change!

Minato reached for a paper slip and filled it out. "Take this down to Instructor Aburame's office; he'll need to do some tests with you." Minato handed the slip to the boy.

"What about take down drills?" the boy asked.

"Forget it for now," Minato slipped the boy back his test, "If we can't do something about these grades first, take downs will be the least of your concerns."

"Yes, Namikaze Sensei," the boy bowed then ran from the room.

"You planned that?" Naruto asked.

"Only the part where you showed up," he hugged Akane to her delight, "How was lunch?"

"Eh," Naruto groaned, "a real can of worms!" Behind the mask of a smile, Naruto looked quietly fatigued. Between teaching and a few other advisory duties as of late, Minato had leaned on Naruto to look after Akane more and more this year.

"Akane didn't play with her food again did she?" Minato asked, eyeing his girl for signs that she'd made a mess.

"Please, Dad!" Naruto shook his head, "That would be easy. I've got to help Hinata find time to defuse a family crisis…" The sudden buzzing of cellphones in pockets froze both of them. Minato looked down and saw a message he prayed he wouldn't see: Priority One – Hokage's office now! Kushina was calling him to the Hokage's office on something urgent. "Let me guess, Mom calling you in, too?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah," Minato grabbed his gradebook and shifted his daughter in his arm, "Tell me about this family crisis on the walk to the office!"

Kakashi did not enjoy sitting in the Hokage's chair, but Kushina insisted he begin transitioning sooner rather than later. You're only sitting here, she is still Hokage. While it was not the same chair Lord Sarutobi and Lord Minato had used, it still felt too big for him. As important as the job was and would be, Kakashi knew he would be little more than a placeholder Hokage. Kushina could continue on if she wanted to, and Naruto sooner or later would succeed to the office. Placeholder or not, the job is still damn important, as is this situation! She has faith in you as she always has; so, don't disappoint her now!

He eyed the familiar, disparate group assembled. Sai, Ino, Sasuke, Hinata, Naruto Sakura, and Hiashi sat before him as Kushina and Minato entertained Akane behind him. "So, it seems we all have a lot to talk about." He tented his hands in mimicry of Minato and now Kushina. "Who wants to begin?" Sasuke raised a hand, his expression remaining grim. "Talk to us, Sasuke."

"We have a major security situation involving Hinata, but it may be bigger than that," Sasuke sounded older, more mature than the defiant boy once caught making out in the closet with Sakura during a mission briefing. "Someone has been progressively stalking her for well over a month, and they made some kind of pass at her today."

"WHAT!" Naruto, his parents, Hiashi, and Kakashi exclaimed all at once.

"Hinata, why didn't you say something!" Hiashi was the first to speak.

"Father, I thought it was nothing at first, but I didn't want to be stopped from taking my medical board exam tomorrow!" Hinata protested.

Kakashi prepared to scold his former student for keeping something that important a secret; however, his mind played back the numerous horror stories his wife Shizune had shared as part of the medical education board. The final medical-nin board exam was only held once a year and no exceptions were made on attendance. If your ass wasn't locked inside the hospital by 0800 by exam start, you were not admitted. If you missed or failed the board exam, it was a minimum of nine months of remedial residency. Almost everyone who failed the board dropped out of the program versus repeating the grueling hours of residency.

"Hinata…" Naruto's face was tight with strain. Just after his birthday, Naruto had confided in Kakashi that something had been eating Hinata, but nothing like this had occurred to either of them.

"Perhaps," Kakashi leaned his head to the left as he spoke, "there is more? You said this could be bigger than just Hinata."

"Whomever it was," Sakura spoke, "was able to suppress or drain her chakra without being in sight," he stared at Naruto, "apparently so much that this person was able to inhibit Flying Thunder God Technique."

"That's…" Minato almost said impossible, but he relented.

Kakashi's ass tightened in the chair. Obito had been able to teleport past seals and pop up out of nowhere, but even Madara Uchiha couldn't suppress chakra from a distance! Everything came to a terrible conclusion. "You think it could be something with the Otusuki?" Kakashi felt cold all over at the question. Hell of a time for Kushina to decide to hand over the reins.

"It could be," Sasuke sat back, crossing his arms, "but why would they target Hinata of all people?"

"She is carrying one of the two Nine-Tailed Beasts," Hiashi rubbed his chin. Kakashi wasn't certain, but there was something being left unsaid by the older man. Why would he hide something about a threat to his daughter?

"Wouldn't that make her less of a target?" Ino said.

"We've in the past dealt with people targeting the Tailed Beasts," Kushina spoke, holding her baby daughter, "and we know the beasts and jinchuriki can be suppressed and weakened by various means."

"I don't think the Tailed-Beast is the target," Sasuke mechanically shook his head, "Hinata is."

"What makes you say that?" Naruto asked with widening eyes.

"Yes, do tell," Kakashi insisted, unnerved by the level of certainty Sasuke exuded.

"These letters," he pulled a stack of letters and set them on the desk, "suggest a romantic or sexual obsession."

Kakashi could only speculate what Naruto was feeling as the group examined the letters. Naruto snarled at the sight of a message no more elaborate than a Valentine. Try to imagine your wife getting these out of nowhere. The thought of Shizune hit Kakashi in a deep, dark place, and he wanted to get ahead of the issue. "With no leads and no definite suspects, I insist we do keep a protection detail on her."

"As do I," Sasuke answered in unison with Naruto, and the two stared at one another.

"I'd normally not ask to lead this assignment," Sasuke locked eyes with Naruto, "but you are romantically involved with her. That could make you prone to manipulation – no offense."

"None taken," Naruto nodded before eyeing Hinata then Kakashi. "One of us should be with her at all times she's outside the Hyūga compound."

"Agreed," Hiashi said. He stared at his daughter, "Perhaps you'll consider postponing sitting for boards?"

"Naruto, Sasuke, Father…" Hinata began, but she stopped.

"Go on, Hinata," Kakashi ordered.

"Please, I understand the desire to protect me, but… please, don't make me a bird in a cage." She shook her head. "I've put my heart and soul into becoming a medical-nin since just before the war; the medical board is not forgiving nor flexible."

"A security detail also won't be allowed inside the hospital during the exams," Ino added.

"Then we'll remain outside the hospital, ya know, on overwatch," Naruto smacked a fist into his opposite palm.

"May I be added to this detail as well," Sai broke the air.

"Sure, why?" Kakashi asked.

"Presumably, this guy has been stalking her for a while," Sai explained. "He'd likely be able to recognize Naruto, maybe Sasuke, but I'd be able to keep a lower profile being that I haven't had a lot of past relations with Hinata."

"Granted," Kakashi said with a nod. "Sasuke, you'll take command of her protection detail and report to Kushina or me directly." Kakashi sat back, "With that said, we have a related issue – Lord Hiashi has asked that we reopen the investigation into Ichika Hyūga's death. I'm assigning the three of you to review the case and determine if it was a natural death or a homicide"

"Grandma's death?" Hinata stared at her father, "Why?"

"Hinata," Hiashi shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "I always knew her death was no accident. With so many who could shed light on the events of almost thirty years ago already dead, this might be the last chance to get answers." His eyes fell, "There is also the rumors of illegitimate heirs to the Hyūga Clan that need to be laid to rest."

"Isn't that a moot point anyhow?" Naruto asked. "You defeated your father and Hinata beat Hanabi when your father used her as a proxy."

"All the same, I'm not a young man anymore," Hiashi sighed. "I'd much rather leave my daughter and her heirs free from any entanglements my father may have inadvertently," he paused, "or intentionally left behind. I'm sure you all remember Venom and Scorpion."

"Hiashi, if we discover illegitimate heirs, I wish to make clear the team has no mandate nor authorization to eliminate them," Kakashi said sternly.

"I'm not my grandfather," Hiashi replied.

"If that is the case," Kakashi said, "Naruto, you're lead investigator on this being that Sasuke is lead on Hinata's case."

"If it's all the same," Naruto's voice was rough, "I want Hinata included on this investigation as well once she's done with her medical boards."

"Naruto?" Hinata stared at him.

"Some members of the clan may be more cooperative with you than the rest of us, and," Naruto swallowed, "I know that this isn't the only suspicious death in the Hyūga Compound in the last thirty years."

"You mean Yukio," Hiashi said.

"Neji's Mom?" Hinata asked, confused, "Father, I thought that was an accident!"

"There is even less evidence, I'm afraid," Hiashi spoke, and Kakashi remembered. Proving something other than medication mismatch after almost twenty years would be damn near impossible. But not entirely impossible. He looked at Naruto. The boy had had a difficult start and plenty of detours along the way, but he had survived things even Kakashi would not have.

"All right, is there anything else?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm afraid there is another order of business I must seek adjudication for," Hinata added.

"Go on," Kakashi wondered what issue could require her to come to the Hokage if not her own safety.

"Brother Neji… is an expectant father," the room became quiet, "as some here already know." She stared at Kakashi and then Kushina. "Tenten is due in approximately eight months, and her parents are threatening to disown her if she keeps the baby."

"Is she contemplating ending the pregnancy or giving up the child?" Kakashi asked.

"No, but I also am asking for the Hokage's help in mediating this strange feud," Hinata shook her head. "Apparently this goes back to before the pregnancy – Tenten's parents refused to bless the couple getting married just after the war."

"What outcome would you be looking for?" Kakashi asked, exchanging a look with Kushina.

"Ideally," Hinata sighed, "I'd like to resolve it such that no one is forced to give up one family or the other."

"Hinata," Kushina spoke up, "I think we can assist, but I do recommend we wait until after your board exam has wrapped up – when the slate is a bit cleaner."

"Hinata," Naruto interjected, "I also want to be in on this."

"Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"Neji came to both of us," Naruto nodded, "and I'd like to see this through to the end. If I can help, that is!"

"Okay," Hinata nodded.

"Okay," Kakashi nodded, "Well, if that is settled, does anyone have anything further?" Kakashi asked. No one spoke. "Meeting adjourned, everyone knows what they are to do."

The younger Shinobi left, leaving Kakashi with Minato, Kushina, and Akane. "So, what do you think?" Kakashi asked as he got up from the chair, turning to stare out the window to Konoha.

"The thought of someone able to suppress chakra from a distance, much less suppress Flying Thunder God Technique, makes for a troubling picture," Minato said.

"I'm a bit more worried about what this means for Naruto and Hinata," Kushina bit her lip.

"How so?" Kakashi asked.

"In a few years, their children will be born," Kushina stood beside Kakashi and stared out to the village, "what if this is some attempt to disrupt that?"

"You mean something like what Himawari did? Trying to alter the past to affect the outcome of something in the future?"

"Preventing Himawari from being born would have a serious impact," Minato chewed his thumb, "but it doesn't make sense, at least not entirely."

"You mean that this person or thing isn't trying to eliminate Hinata," Kakashi added, "I thought of that."

"What do you think of all of this, Kakashi?" Kushina asked as she bounced Akane.

"I think it is unwise for me to start transitioning in the middle of such a crisis."

"Kakashi," Minato placed a hand on his shoulder, "everyone who has worn the jacket has felt that way. I sure as hell did when Lord Third resigned."

"As did I when you and Shikamaru told me I'd been elected as I was at Minato's bedside in the hospital," Kushina grimly reminded.

"And I'm sure Lord Third felt the same when Lord Tobrima promoted him in the field. I get that," Kakashi sighed, "I just am not sure I can live up to the job."

"I still feel the same, Kakashi," Kushina tried to reassure him. "It's why I'm stepping down this way."

"Kushina, you led us exceptionally well through the Fourth Shinobi War," Kakashi said.

"Yes, and the rigors of building peace out of a world that has seen so much death has been exhausting. Plus…"

"Plus?"

"Hima let drop that Tsunade was supposed to be the Fifth Hokage and Naruto the Seventh," she shrugged, "someone has to be the Sixth. And…"

"Yes?"

"Kakashi," she paused, staring at her daughter, "knowing the relative importance of Naruto and Hinata to the future, I also am dealing with the possibility that I might make decisions detrimental to the village if it came down to protecting them or the village."

Kakashi hadn't expected such a statement, "How?"

"I'm a fighter, Kakashi. If someone were to threaten my children or my future grandchildren; I wouldn't let being Hokage keep me in that chair," she stared back at the desk, "And the village doesn't need that leading it."

"What about when Naruto becomes Hokage?" Kakashi asked.

"I think," Minato spoke up, "he'll have to figure it out for himself. He'll need someone wise and level-headed to be his mentor as Hokage, much as you were as his sensei."

Kakashi stared at Kushina, "You always were a bit hot-blooded," he chuckled.

"Hey, I resemble that remark!" Kushina laughed, as did her husband.

Shikamaru a few years ago would have been in heaven given his circumstances. He was atop the plateau overlooking the Kazekage's Oasis on a clear night with his telescope. His stunning wife was seated on a mat beside him. Despite the late October chill in the air, Temari wore form-fitting shorts that showed plenty of well-toned legs and a creamy tank top that blended perfectly to her skin in the pale moonlight. Shikamaru struggled to maintain focus on the figures he was scribbling on a notepad as his mind calculated the details of Temari – no panties, a tank top that showed off ample cleavage and the swell of her breasts, and the fact that she was braless with perked nipples. Focus, dammit! The bulge forming in his pants left it difficult to move, much less concentrate on math.

Far from being in heaven, Shikamaru was burning in a personal hell. About two months ago, he'd come up here and noted that the moon's cycle was off by several days and the angle that it should have been sitting at in the sky was off by a few degrees. Ever since, he'd been coming back up here, checking his math again and again. As he checked his math and his telescope again tonight. The situation had actually worsened despite Shikamaru double-checking the calibration on his telescope and triple-checking his math using various astronomy apps in his smart phone.

"I'll be in the tent, star-boy," Temari breathed in his ear then kissed him on the cheek. "Don't take too long." He shivered throughout at he stole a glance from his telescope's eyepiece. Temari's hips swayed in the moonlight as she strolled back to the tent, and she flagrantly stuck her butt up in the air as she bent over to unzip the tent. If she got any more obvious, she'd need a cardboard sign with big block letters!

Shikamaru breathed out steam slowly as she faded from view. The second he entered the tent, Temari would fuck his brains loose, and she would try getting him to go without protection. Heavy lead weights sank in Shikamaru's guts and his right fingers fidgeted. Most men would ditch the telescope and explore other fascinating worlds, but not you! Shikamaru shook his head violently against the intrusive thought.

He wanted to please Temari, but he remembered too well what happened the last time they'd gone all the way without protection. Shikamaru shook and his eyes clamped closed as the horrid vision of Temari suffering near-fatal injuries moments before the Infinite Tsukuyomi paralyzed them both. They'd lost precious hours getting her to the hospital, and they both had to live through the emotional trauma of learning that she'd lost a previously unknown pregnancy at some point along the way. Had you just kept it in your pants then, we wouldn't be dealing with this now!

Shikamaru steadied himself, taking deep breaths against the heavy weight of shame. Shikamaru knew it was an irrational thought. They had no way of knowing she was pregnant. Until recently, it had almost been a non-issue. Throughout Temari's early recovery, the mere thought of sex was taboo. As she was struggling to regaining the ability to walk and use her right arm again, Temari hadn't questioned his reluctance to have sex. Now that she was mostly back, he was running out of excuses. While Temari was still taking the pill, she had pestered him about ditching the condoms the last few times they'd been intimate. While still minor, it did carry with it a risk of pregnancy. And what of it? She wants kids; hell, you want kids! Why are you pissing your pants

Shikamaru huffed in frustration as he made one last brief check of his math, shaking his head. The numbers were not aligning with what they should be, but the data he was running didn't lie. He made one last calculation and erased his work and started again he was so shocked. Again, he scribbled rapidly, praying he was wrong. The numbers came the same - roughly 320,000 kilometers. Impossible! The moon was almost twenty thousand kilometers closer than it should be during its perigee, the closest it should come towards the Earth. Perigee isn't for another month, close to the Rinne Festival!

He closed his notepad, trying to make sense of the situation. Shikamaru's mind ran dozens then hundreds of scenarios, none of them giving a satisfactory explanation for why his math would be off. None of his explanations could account for the moon not being where it should be, either. You know exactly what could be causing it. Like everything else, you're too lazy and scared to admit to it!

Defeated, Shikamaru skulked back to the tent, unzipped the flap, and was greeted by a screech, "EEEKKK!"

"Temari!" Shikamaru reached for a flashlight in his pocket to illuminate the inside of the tent, expecting anything from a snake, to a scorpion, or a mouse. Instead, the light cast away the shadows that had concealed Temari.

She knelt atop their sleeping bags, legs spread, and she was wearing nothing but her left hand concealing her womanhood. "Oh my, a peeping Tom!" she giggled as the hand slid away, revealing her in all of her naked glory.

"Dammit, you spooked me, troublesome woman!" Shikamaru hissed as annoyance fought with arousal. Even with multiple scars from shoulder and hip surgery, artisans would give their right arm to have her pose in a vain attempt to capture her in marble.

"Fair is fair," she winked, "I seem to remember a certain Hidden Leaf genin who saw all of this on a spy mission!"

"That was an accident!" Shikamaru protested. She would bring that up! Before they'd been a couple, Shikamaru had been assigned to spy on Temari during the Chunin Exams, and he'd walked in on her in a mixed gender hot springs. It was the first time he'd seen Temari naked; it was also her first time seeing him naked. After that, he'd found his standards impossibly narrow to pursue anyone else.

"And this isn't!" she posed with her hands behind her glorious golden hair. "Of course, if you'd like a written invitation…" she snickered. There are a hundred nobles here in Suna that would cut your throat in a heartbeat if it meant just getting a peek at what you're seeing right now! The bulge in his pants intensified along with his breathing.

"All right, I give, Troublesome woman!" he groaned as he closed the tent flap. Most men wouldn't hesitate banging with a love goddess if she was naked before them. What makes you somehow different? The shade of his reluctance began to seep into his mindset.

"You bet your sweet ass," she grinned, "now hurry up or I'll get started without you!"

"What a pain," Shikamaru began pulling his shirt over his head. As he had his arms overhead and the shirt over his face, Temari tackled him and flopped Shikamaru down on his back. "OOOMMPHH!"

Temari's mouth began scouring his chest and stomach as her hands clawed at his belt and fly. Before Shikamaru could get the shirt off his arms and over his head, there was the unmistakable heat and moisture of Temari wrapping her lips and tongue around his erection, sucking him like a lollipop as his pants slid down his legs. "AHHH!" Shikamaru screamed as he wrestled the shirt loose in the dim shadow of the tent.

Temari released him only long enough to finish tearing his pants past his ankles as Shikamaru got his shirt all the way off. She smirked like a lioness with a prize in her grasp, she grabbed his now towering erection, and impaled herself on him. "Ahhahhhhhhaaaaa…" Temari moaned as she moved up and down, gently at first.

For the moment, doubt and uncertainty faded away. Shikamaru's hands began stroking and kneading her thighs and her impressive ass as he struggled not to release in the first few seconds. I'd never hear the end of it if I came that fast! As pelvises drove together, an unusual image flooded his mind – Temari with a belly swollen by pregnancy.

The invasive thought didn't break the moment so much as it nagged at the back of Shikamaru's mind like a persistent itch as his bare member twitched inside his wife's hot, soaked channel. The explosion of pleasure hit as Shikamaru knew it would, and he moaned in the strange mix of pleasure and overstimulation as his seed spilled within her.

Temari panted in satisfaction an exhaustion as the moment came and went. "So," Temari continued to straddle him as if to insist they weren't done, "you staying in this time?"

"Seriously!" Shikamaru groaned. He was far from his A-game, but for the first time in quite a few weeks, he didn't think he was terrible.

"If you were going to pull out, I hate to tell you, that is barely effective before you cum in me, not after, silly!" she chuckled, not removing herself from him.

"You're not… trying to become pregnant," he paused to swallow a lump constricting his throat, "are you?!" Anxiety gripped Shikamaru around his throat.

"Ha!" she slapped his stomach playfully, "I can't do the Iron Shinobi competition while pregnant, you know that!" There was a mild reassurance. All female members had to test negative the morning of due to the rigors of the course and he potential risk the course could cause a pregnant competitor.

"Of course," his voice squeaked, and he covered his mouth in embarrassment.

"Although… after…" she teased.

"After?" Shikamaru's heart began pumping faster.

"Well, I am getting to that age," she traced her finger down his sternum to his belly button, his abs twitching. "Especially given my circumstances…" Temari became melancholic as her teal eyes sank.

"What circumstances?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Temari slid off him finally and lay over top him, granting him an extra impressive view of her breasts"It's hard to discuss, but I suppose we do need to talk about it."

"What exactly do we need to talk about," he asked, lost in the mix of confusion and arousal. She's trying to extra information, but what?

"Shikamaru… after this competition is over, I want to go back to Konoha." She slid off him and sat at his side.

"Okay?" he struggled to gauge where Temari's mood was.

Temari sat up, curled her knees to her chest, and hugged herself, "I need to speak to Akemi Hyūga."

"Akemi? What for?" he sat up beside her.

"Shikamaru…" she sighed, "My mom died in childbirth," Temari's normally stoic features cracked, "many women on both sides of my family have done the same!"

"Temari…" Shikamaru didn't know if he was helping or hurting, "… things are different now! Medical training has come a long way!"

"And I've already lost a pregnancy," her voice became a sharp hiss, "which makes my odds astronomically higher of losing another, or worse!"

Shikamaru knew the odds Temari having another miscarriage were around twenty percent higher than average – a statistic he'd learned when researching Temari's condition during her stay at Konoha Hospital. Or worse. Cold electricity crawled along Shikamaru's spine. The thought of losing Temari in childbirth, much less losing another baby, chilled Shikamaru night after night since Ino had given him the bad news two years ago. "Temari…" he strained to find any words of comfort or reassurance. He found none.

"Shikamaru… be honest with me," she measured her words, "Is there someone else?"

"What?!" Shikamaru's mouth dropped, "NO!" he squeaked in protest.

"Then what is it?" she buried her face in her knees. "If I didn't come onto you blatantly, you'd be asleep right now! Do I not do it for you anymore!"

"Temari…" he choked, "…after nearly losing you…" words failed him. "Temari," he finally found the ability to speak again, "what exactly could Akemi do?"

Temari unfolded a bit, "Her status as a healer and a midwife are legendary," Temari spoke up. "She was optimistic of my chances of having a baby safely, much more than the doctors here in Suna."

"So," Shikamaru's throat tightened around his words, "this is about having a baby?"

"You once said you were open to the possibility," she replied exasperated, "even before we got married!"

"I was… I am… I mean," Shikamaru tripped over words, "I… Temari…" He sank in on himself. "If I lost you in labor, I…"

"That isn't the only reason why we both need to go back," she insisted.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

Temari flopped on the sleeping bag, sprawling out beside him, "Because I'm not the only one that needs to heal. You think I haven't noticed your injury?" her hands traced along his spine.

"What injury?" he looked down in the dark of the tent.

"It's not one you can see, genius," Temari's words were almost motherly over scolding. "You've been hiding it since the day I woke up in the hospital." She pulled him down to face her, "And I've had to watch you suffer every step of the way." She braced, hesitating, "Shikamaru, when was the last time you called your folks? When was the last time you talked to your team or your sensei's family? Hell, when did you last call Naruto?"

The questions increased the sense of unease in Shikamaru. He had barely spoke to his family in his time here. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd talked to Ino, Choji, or Asuma. Hell, do you even remember when you last talked to Naruto, much less saw him? Shikamaru thought and thought, but he couldn't put a date to his mind. "I guess it has been a while," he finally said.

"I saw you like this before," she put her hand on his chest. "I've had many injuries, but blindness wasn't one of them. You're hiding from everyone back home. And you're hiding from me…"

"Shit…" Shikamaru felt the world shift suddenly. If he didn't tell her, she'd never let it go. And why shouldn't you tell her? Does she not need to know that a global cataclysm might be brewing? "Temari… it's deeper than that."

"What is?" she stared intently

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he scoffed. He didn't want to believe it, himself.

"Try me, crybaby!" she pulled him closer until they were almost nose to nose.

Shikamaru stared his wife in the eyes, both teal orbs darkened due to the minimal light coming through the tent. "Temari… the moon…"

"Yeah?"

"Something is wrong," he shook his head.

"Wrong? Wrong how?" she asked.

Shikamaru weighed lying about it, but he didn't know if he'd be protecting her or panicking her. He again stared into the darkness where her eyes were. "Temari, the moon is a lot closer to earth than is should be, and it's not some data anomaly."

Temari stared, scrutinizing him. Finally, she spoke, "You're being serious, aren't you?" He nodded in reply. "How bad?"

"Off by almost twenty thousand kilometers too close," he said.

"You're sure it's not some natural phenomenon?" he could tell it was wishful thinking on her part.

"I ran the numbers dozens of times," he shook his head. "The moon is falling out of orbit, slowly but steadily. There is no natural scientific explanation as to why."

"And it can't be a mistake base on your equipment?" she asked.

"I… I hope it is!" Shikamaru bit his lip, "But, I don't think it is. I crunched the numbers on paper and in the smart phone you gave me; both come out the same."

"How could we tell for sure?" She asked.

"Ideally," Shikamaru sighed, two independent observatories could make the calculations and triangulate a solution."

"Where would be suitable?" she asked.

"Konoha for one," he shrugged, "the next best one would be on Anami Island, in the Setsuan Island Chain."

Temari stared at him quietly for several seconds, "Shikamaru, what would cause this?"

"Nothing natural," he said grimly. "Any natural solar phenomenon that powerful would significantly impact the earth."

"That just leaves someone doing something to bring the moon down," Temari said as she rolled on her back. "When do we leave?"

"We?" Shikamaru asked.

"Goddammit, you're my husband, and you're telling me some world-ending crisis is the making," she rolled again to face him and pounded a fist on his chest, "Do you really think I give a crap about some competition with that threat hanging over my head!"

"Temari, you've spent the last two years getting ready for it!" he protested as he rubbed the sore spot on his chest.

She snatched his hand and placed it over her mound, "I care about this! I care about there being a world to bring a child into! We've already lived through a near end of days once; I'm not letting it get there now!"

Shikamaru stared at his wife, hand still firmly rooted on her womanhood. "You're being serious!"

"Dead serious!"

"All right, troublesome woman! We leave tomorrow then!" he nodded.

"Where to first?" she asked.

"Konoha – I can use the observatory there, plus we need to alert the Hokage."

"What about Gaara?" she asked.

"We should let him know why we're leaving, maybe have him call ahead to let Lord Fifth know we're coming." Shikamaru's voice tightened. After surviving near-death once before, asking Temari to follow him back into the belly of the beast hardly seemed fair.

Temari placed a hand on his cheek, "Hey, we're going to get through this, crybaby!"

"Temari, are you sure you wouldn't rather stay?"

"There is always next year," she smirked, "unless you finally agree to plant a baby in me!"

Troublesome woman!

Author's notes: Hi everyone. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Once again, thank you with your patience with the long update schedule; I used almost every minute of it on writing and making revisions. I'm posting a bit early because I had enough time to actually clean the chapter up.

I do have a small favor to ask if you are reading at the time of publication. I have posted a poll to my profile about the unexpected child of Neji and Tenten. As always, I appreciate your feedback. I'll keep the poll open through 11/12/2022

I'll see you next chapter. Until then, stay healthy and stay safe!