A/N: This is days later than planned, lol, but I ended up being busier this week than I thought, so I'm just glad I got it done! This is part 2/conclusion to last chapter's 'arc,' if you will, so hope you enjoy!

Shrrrrt!

About half an hour later, around mid-sunset, the door slides open. Shikamaru walks inside with a big white bag in one arm, closing the door behind him with his other hand. He blinks upon seeing his best friend sitting at Naruto's side. "Oh, hey, Choji!" Then, a second later, "Naruto, you're awake!"

Naruto beams, raising his good hand in greeting. "Hey, Shikamaru! You're back!"

Choji doesn't miss the way Shikamaru smiles when he sees Naruto up and about or the way Naruto's eyes light up when he sees Shikamaru come in. He files those away to laugh about with Ino later.

Shikamaru moves to set the bag on the nightstand, smirking fondly. "I told you I'd be back as soon as I could, didn't I?" He doesn't have to ask to know Naruto found and read his note.

Naruto nods, knowing exactly how lucky he is. He asks excitedly, "So, how'd it go? How's Kurenai-sensei? Is the baby doing okay?"

Shikamaru softens at Naruto's enthusiasm. "It went well, as always, thankfully. Kurenai-sensei only has a little while to go till her due date, but she's still bustling right along." He rubs the back of his neck, tired and exasperated in one. "I keep trying to tell her to let me help more, but she's stubborn." He chuckles. "Figures Asuma would go for that type."

Choji laughs, too. "Yeah, that's true. Though in his defense, they liked each other since the Academy."

Shikamaru sighs resignedly, though the smile never leaves his face. "Fair point."

"What about the baby?" Naruto presses, bouncing a bit with anticipation to know more. "Does she know if it's a boy or a girl yet?"

Shikamaru pauses, confused, but then laughs delightedly. "Oh, that's right!" He turns to face Naruto fully, crossing his arms comfortably over his chest. "She is just fine! Kurenai found out it was a girl a little over a week ago, while you were still asleep. Sorry, I forgot you didn't know."

Naruto shakes his head, too excited to care. He's never had a friend have a baby before! Even if she's a sensei and he doesn't know her very well, he's still excited! There are practically stars in his eyes. Shikamaru can't help but melt. "Does she have any names in mind yet? Did—did she and Asuma-sensei pick any out?"

He might not know much about babies or couples and that stuff, but he knows that's something they do when they're going to have a baby! He hopes that isn't a touchy subject. Shikamaru tilts his head as he thinks back. "Kurenai said they'd picked out a few for each sex, but she said their plan was to decide when they saw the baby for the first time, so…" he shrugs, smile a little pained at the knowledge that his sensei won't get to be part of it, but ultimately happy and proud, too, "…she's sticking to that."

Naruto blinks. "Huh. I didn't know you could wait that long to name a kid…" He grins. "I'm sure whatever Kurenai-sensei comes up with, it'll be great! And if it's a girl, maybe she'll turn out super pretty like her! Ooh, maybe with Asuma-sensei's super cool energy!" He gasps excitedly. There are definitely stars in his eyes now. "Once she's old enough, maybe she could even use his chakra blades!" He mimics some of Asuma's motions with his good arm. "That'd be so cool!"

Shikamaru and Choji can both see it now. Kurenai's eyes and hair with Asuma's facial structure and signature weapons. "Definitely awesome!" they agree as one, grinning at each other after a moment of surprise.

Both of them can't help but soften at Naruto, how excited he is about all this. He barely knows Kurenai and hardly knew Asuma (through no fault of his own; none of the other senseis tend to interact with each other's kids), but he's still this excited about their baby. Really, they suspect he'd be like this with any friend's baby, but still. He really is a sweet guy… It'll be interesting to see how he is with the baby once she's born.

Almost forgetting about Naruto's dinner in all the excitement, Shikamaru turns back to the task at hand. Taking a carefully-packed box out of the bag he brought in, he opens it.

The smell that instantly fills the room is one that Naruto would know anywhere. His eyes widen, and he gasps as his stomach growls furiously, looking up at Shikamaru like he hung the damn sun in the sky. Choji barely holds back a laugh, especially when he swears he sees tears in his eyes. "You—you got me Ichiraku ramen?"

A light blush paints Shikamaru's cheeks, and yet he can't help but laugh anyway. Honestly, he's so easy to please... The smile he gives Naruto is fond as hell, a bit teasing besides. "What kind of friend do you take me for? It's your favorite, and you're in the hospital, for God's sake. I'm not gonna just get you anything." Glancing back in the box, Shikamaru blinks, brow furrowing. "Huh. That's weird…"

Naruto cranes his neck to try to see. "What? What's weird?"

Shikamaru reaches in to pull out an extra-large, still-steaming bowl of ramen, two smaller bowls, and three sets of chopsticks. "Since when does Ichiraku give you all this with an order?" He snorts. "What, do they really think you would have leftovers?"

Naruto is equally confused for a split second before he lights up and shakes his head as vigorously as a dog getting water out of its fur. "No, no! I get it!" He laughs, beaming, and points at both his friends. "Teuchi knows I love ramen best when I get to share it with people I love! He put those bowls in there for you guys!" He chuckles, glancing at Choji. "Though I don't know how he knew you'd be here, Choji."

Shikamaru and Choji blink, but they can't say they're surprised. Not at all, actually. This is Naruto. Of course he'd be sentimental like that.

Choji snorts. "Just luck, I guess!" Rubbing his hands together, he licks his lips. "Oh, boy! I haven't had Ichiraku's in forever!"

Shikamaru starts doling out their portions, leaving the biggest one for Naruto, of course. Despite any protests he might try, he's the one recovering. He needs to keep his strength up more than the rest of them. Still, he snorts in turn, unable to help smirking. "That's only because, somehow, you never get sick of barbecue!"

"Well, do you ever get sick of cloud-watching?"

A beat, after which Shikamaru sighs and hands off his share. "Shut up and take your bowl already."

Choji cheers. "All right! Thanks, Shikamaru!"

Hearing that, Naruto perks up the smallest bit as he remembers. "Oh, yeah! Shikamaru, how much was it?" Looking around, behind his pillow and under his covers, too, he frowns. "As soon as I find my clothes, I'll be able to find my wallet and pay you back…"

Shikamaru glances up from filling Naruto's bowl. "Oh, right. I almost forgot." He grins. "Teuchi and Ayame said it's on the house and to feel better soon! They told me to make sure to tell you that they miss their favorite customer and they're so glad you're awake and going to be okay!" He chuckles, affection for the two coming through. Anyone who loves Naruto is more than okay in his book. "I'm not kidding either when I say Teuchi cried when I told them why I was there. Ayame and I were both worried he was going to pass out from relief!"

Shikamaru passes Naruto his bowl before sitting down in his chair with his own. Naruto, for his part, smiles warmly, almost nostalgically, into his ramen. "Thanks, old man…" he offers quietly before blowing on it and starting to eat. It's the tiniest bit crowded with all of them eating within a few inches of each other at best, but honestly? Naruto couldn't be happier if he tried, and that's all that matters to his friends. This is exactly what he had in mind.

They eat in silence for several minutes, just enjoying the ramen and each other's company, and they all must have been hungrier than they thought because their food is gone in record time. Even Naruto's, and he had the biggest portion, not that they're particularly surprised.

The only thing left in Naruto's bowl is, perhaps appropriately, a little naruto fish cake, and he can't help but feel sentimental again. He's never told anyone this story, but…

"You know, when I was little, I ran out of food and money a lot." Shikamaru and Choji look up, startled, and while they're not entirely sure what brought this on or where it's going, they listen closely regardless. "All the time, really. Not that I didn't try to be careful, of course," he chuckles a bit, smiling, though it's a little sad, too, "but when you're a growing kid with a freaking demon fox sealed inside you, you're always hungry, so you eat more." He rubs the back of his head. "I don't think Old Man Third really took that into account in the budget…"

Choji doesn't really understand that last part, but Shikamaru has to bite his lip to keep from cursing, grip on his bowl tightening. The more things he learns about the way Lord Third treated Naruto, the more his true character comes to light – and Shikamaru doesn't like what he's finding.

"Anyway, I think I was…maybe four or five at the time, and I hadn't had anything to eat in two days when these older kids tried to gang up on me after Academy classes got out. I tried to fight back, but I was weak and tired, so eventually, I tried running instead. They were really good, though, and they definitely wanted a piece of me. Not that I wasn't used to that by then, but still, you know?" He breathes a sardonic laugh. Choji and Shikamaru wince, the latter clenching a fist and gritting his teeth. "I was desperate to find a place to hide because I knew I wouldn't be able to get away, but everywhere I tried, they threw me out, sometimes literally. It was raining really hard by then, and I was soaked to the bone.

"Finally, I ducked inside a tiny ramen shop that I prayed somehow didn't know who I was and hid until the bullies gave up and left. I was going to make a run for it, but...then I smelled the best thing I'd ever smelled in my whole life. I knew I needed to go home and change before I got sick, but I couldn't make myself move. I was just so hungry…" He chuckles. "And then, all of a sudden, Teuchi waved to me and tried to call me over. I thought he wanted to hurt me, too, so I bolted, but then I happened to hear him say, 'Oh, no…I scared him away… Poor kid…'"

Naruto breathes a wry laugh, playing idly with the fish cake sitting soaked and alone at the bottom of his bowl. His expression is the haunted one Shikamaru hates to see so much, but there's hope in it, too, gratitude and light, and…Shikamaru desperately wants to know why, what it means. How it got there. Who to get down on his knees and thank.

"At the time, I-I didn't know what that meant. I didn't know what pity was, and I didn't know what sympathy was either. I'd only ever been hated by everyone in the village before that. Called names, pushed around, chased, beat up." Shikamaru's knuckles crack, and Choji's aren't far behind. "But…I knew I needed to eat, that I might not even make it home otherwise, and I realized I didn't really have any other choice, so…I went back. Teuchi actually looked…relieved when he saw me. He said, 'Oh, good! I was hoping you'd come back!' and set a giant bowl of ramen just like this in front of me."

He laughs slightly, but it's obvious there are still some painful memories attached to what he says next. "It smelled and looked so good, and I wanted to eat so badly, but…I was terrified. I couldn't trust that it hadn't been poisoned, after all, since that had happened a few times before." Hearing sharp gasps, he snaps up to look at his friends. Shit. He forgot they didn't know. Shikamaru's tense and looks like he's going to break his bowl with how hard he's clutching it, while Choji's chalk pale and looks like he might lose the dinner he just ate. He kicks himself. Hoping to fix it, he waves his good hand calmingly and then pats his stomach. "Oh, d-don't worry, though! The Nine Tails always sent his chakra through me to purge it, so I was fine! I mean, yeah, it felt like being burned from the inside out, but still! I was never in any real danger, I promise!" Of course, without the Nine Tails sealed inside him, he wouldn't have been poisoned in the first place, but that's not exactly the Nine Tails' fault either, in his opinion.

"A-anyway—Teuchi must have seen how scared I was because he reached over and tested the broth for me to show me it was okay. Ayame helped dry me off with a few towels, too!" He laughs, a more genuine sound this time. Shikamaru and Choji are glad to hear it. "I ended up eating three bowls before the rain slowed down enough for me to go home, and Teuchi told me to come back whenever I wanted, money or not!"

His smile is reminiscent and a little sad, but softer and stronger, too. Better for it. "So that's why I love Ichiraku ramen so much. It saved me. They did. It was…" he melts a little more, "…the first time anyone had ever really been kind to me, you know? I learned that day that not everyone in the village hated me or was out to get me." He grins toothily. "And over the years, Ichiraku's has gotten even more special for a lot more reasons, too!"

Shikamaru and Choji are rather…speechless after all that. They just sit there and reflect while Naruto finally eats his last little fish cake. Finally, Shikamaru breaks the silence with a pensive hum, eyes moving to the once delicately, meticulously packed box. His voice is soft and low. "So that's the reason, huh?" He always did wonder…

Naruto nods enthusiastically. "Mm hmm! Ichiraku's is mine for life!"

His friends quirk twin brows. His…?

Given a moment, though, it hits them. Of course.

Anything that touches his heart, a person who's kind, someone or something that's significant to him in any way at all…he claims it as his, and he won't let it go without the fight of his life. That must be a big part of why this whole thing with Sasuke is so hard on him…

They're brought out of their thoughts when they catch Naruto looking between them and chuckling. "What are you laughing about?" Shikamaru asks. His fond tone and even fonder smirk don't escape Choji.

"I was just thinking." Once again, he points at them both. "You two are the kindest people in the Hidden Leaf, so of course it makes sense that you'd find each other and be friends!"

The two in question blush something fierce. Where in the hell did that come from? All the same, after a moment, Shikamaru's grin widens, and he laughs himself, exasperatedly doting. He holds up his own set of fingers. "You mean three."

Naruto cocks his head, raises an eyebrow of his own. A small "Hmm?" leaves him.

"You, too, Naruto."

Naruto blushes to his ears.

Choji doesn't stay too much longer after that. After delivering Yoshino's message to Shikamaru (which earned him a sigh, a tired "Yeah, yeah, mom…" in response, and a thanks), he offers to take the bowls back to Ichiraku on his way home. Promising he'll be by to visit again soon, he heads out into the evening.

Naruto yawns, which makes Shikamaru snicker. "Can't sleep yet." He waves the now-familiar pills at him. "You know the rules. Gotta take your sleeping meds first. Lady Tsunade'll have my head if I don't make sure you take them."

"You're damn right I will, Nara!"

Shikamaru jumps and looks over, sighing in relief when he sees who it is. He nods politely. "Evening, Lady Tsunade."

Naruto, as expected, gasps and lights up when he sees her in the doorway. "Granny Tsunade! You're back!" He yawns again. "How are you…?"

Softening as she walks over to him, she ruffles his hair gently, making him beam and laugh while he leans up into it. It only makes her soften more. "Just fine, Naruto. Thank you." Purposefully moving to the side of the bed opposite Shikamaru, she sits down. "How are you feeling?"

Naruto just grins and gives a thumbs up. "Great!" She raises an eyebrow, and he has the grace to look sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck. "I-I mean, don't get me wrong, it's boring sometimes, and you know how I feel about being cooped up," she smirks a bit; that's what she thought – his shining eyes and smile come back twofold, "but Shikamaru and the others have been amazing!" He chuckles delightedly. "I'm so lucky to have such incredible friends!"

Tsunade and Shikamaru can't help but melt. Honestly… They all feel the exact same way about him. So much.

Tsunade just smiles. "Good. I'm glad to hear it." A heartbeat, and then her expression and voice gentle. "How about here?" She pokes his heart. "As far as I know, Iruka, Sakura, Kakashi, Choji, and Ino, through Sakura, know about your decision now. Seeing as you've started making your rounds, so to speak, I'm guessing that means you haven't changed your mind."

Not that she wants him to. Hell, no. Of course she'd rather have Sasuke taken care of—he's a loose cannon who attacked the Kage Summit and has it out for the Leaf, someone Gaara considers to be off his rocker, for God's sake—but she can put literally anyone else on his tail. Preferably someone without a personal stake in the situation.

Naruto… Like he said himself, he deserves better, damn it. And if she can, if he'll let her, she'd like to give it to him.

So, she's relieved as all hell when he shakes his head with a little smile. Heartbroken as it might be, it's resigned, resolved, too. "No, I haven't. You don't have to worry about that, Granny, I promise. I wouldn't tell anyone else, put them through that, if I wasn't absolutely sure. Kakashi-sensei and Sakura most of all."

Some of the tension in her shoulders loosens at that, and Tsunade's smile warms. Leaning forward, steadying him with fingers gently curled at his chin, she kisses his forehead before resting hers there. "I'm so proud of you, Naruto."

She knows she told him that the other day, but…it bears repeating.

Naruto softens and closes his eyes happily, reaching up to hold the hand at his chin. "Thanks, Granny."

After another moment, they separate, and Tsunade announces, suddenly more upbeat, "And on that note, Naruto, I came because I have some good news for you!"

Hope reflexively flares in Naruto's chest, first instinct being maybe they found Sasuke. But he squashes that like a bug. He's not supposed to care anymore, remember? He shakes his head quickly, but neither Tsunade nor Shikamaru miss the truth. "R-really? What is it?"

Her smile warms. "Based on what I saw in my exam the other day and your vitals this morning, we should be able to remove your binding-cast. That means you'll be able to use your right arm again!"

He gasps and beams, thrilled. "Really? You mean it?" He throws his good arm in the air. "Woohoo! Finally! Thanks, Granny!"

Tsunade is beaming as well by now, laughing. She can't help it. Not only is his enthusiasm contagious, but if he knew why he was getting it off…! She tries to bite her lip to keep from smiling too much, lest she make them suspicious, but sadly, she forgets who she's with.

Naruto scrutinizes her while she double-checks his arm's progress with her medical ninjutsu. "You're hiding something, aren't you, Granny?" he accuses playfully. Excitement trills in his chest.

She makes a point of not looking at him while she works to school her expression. She doesn't entirely succeed, but sue her. Despite her initial reservations all those years ago, it's been proven time and again that she loves this boy, and she wants nothing more than to see him happy. "Oh, really? And what makes you say that?"

Naruto just grins. "Nothing, really!" A moment later, Tsunade blinks when he pokes her forehead gently, making her look up at him. "I just know you too well!"

Tsunade can only stare up at that blinding smile. She remembers a white-haired old fool who used to say the same thing. For a moment, she swears she sees his face in place of Naruto's, hears his voice, too, years younger, back when they were just dumb kids with no clue what the future held in store for them. Her gaze falls, and she closes her eyes to take a deep, slightly tremulous breath. No tears, not now. She smiles some, maybe a bit sadly, though she does her best to hide that part. "I suppose that's true…"

"Ha! See?"

Looking back at him, Tsunade smirks. "I'm afraid I can't tell you what it is," Naruto deflates with a whine of her nickname while Shikamaru is just as bummed, and she raises an eyebrow, "but I can tell you you'll like it. Very much, if I do say so myself." She winks. "So be patient and take your medicine so you sleep well tonight. You'll need it."

True to her word, Tsunade deems his arm healed enough to do without the binding-cast, so she works on taking it off while catching up on the last two days. She's relieved and happy, encouraged and encouraging both, to hear how well Sai and Choji both took Naruto's decision. Not that she's really surprised. The Konoha 11 have always rallied behind Naruto far more than they ever have Sasuke, especially after the first time Sasuke pulled something like this with Naruto.

"Sai told us he saw you and Sakura training really early this morning. He said you seemed…" Naruto shudders a bit in sympathy for Sakura, having been on the receiving end of Tsunade's temper many times, "…p-pretty pissed." His expression shifts to be more earnest, eyes alight with righteous fire. "I know Sakura can handle herself, but…she did come out okay, right? You weren't too hard on her, were you? She really did apologize for breaking my nose, brought me flowers and everything, and she promised she'll make it up to me. I believe her. Shikamaru and Kakashi-sensei do, too. So…everything's okay now, right?" He swallows. "You're not still mad?"

He waits on bated breath for her answer, and after a moment or two of appraising him, she sighs. Honestly… "At this point, I'm pretty sure it might actually kill you to worry about yourself for a change…"

Shikamaru snorts. "You've got that right."

Naruto pouts. "Hey, whose side are you on?!"

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow with a smirk and nudges his knee. "Whichever side keeps you alive, dumbass."

It's Tsunade's turn to snort. "Yes, well…" She begins expertly examining his now-free arm. "To answer your question, Naruto, no, I'm not still angry with her. I berated and pushed her to her limits for almost a full day, and that should be punishment enough. Honestly, she took it like a champ." She raises a soft eyebrow at Naruto. "She must really be sorry for what she did." She and Shikamaru can't help but think, She'd better be. "But you don't have to worry about her. She's probably bruised and exhausted, but otherwise, she's just fine. She's my student, after all." Naruto nods, understanding that, of course, but he's still relieved.

Pausing her work for a moment, she cups his cheek, and his breath catches at the undoubtedly loving way she's looking at him. "I'm sorry for the way she reacted. I know it was hard enough for you to come to that decision, let alone tell her and Kakashi. She should have been more mature about it…" she sighs a bit wearily, resting her chin in her hand, "…but then again, maybe I'm not the best to talk about maturity." She bites her lip before continuing, looking away. "When Orochimaru deserted the village and Jiraiya insisted on going after him…I turned my back on everything I'd ever known to become a gambling loser…" She chuckles, though it's a bit sardonic. "I did much worse than punch Jiraiya in the face, emotionally and physically, though he probably didn't see it that way. So, I guess, in the grand scheme of things, she's still doing better than me..."

She points at Naruto sternly, a sharp, yet still soft edge to her now. "But that doesn't make what she did to you okay. No matter her reasons, she broke a cardinal rule of being a medical ninja, and she knows now that there will be dire consequences if she ever does it again." Namely, she will no longer be able to call herself Tsunade's student. But that's for master and student and no one else. Besides, now that she's laid down that law, she has faith she'll never have to make good on it. Not with her, anyway. "To be a shinobi, you need more than strength and jutsu. You must acquire the judgment to make the right decisions. You must become smarter."

Naruto's eyes widen, breath hitching in his throat. That's—!

"Jiraiya's words, yes." Tsunade is quieter now than she was a second ago, and Naruto clams up so he can listen. "He said them to you when you still wanted to go after Sasuke after he nearly killed you the first time, isn't that right?" Naruto's shocked and confused about how she knows that, but nods anyway. Then again, it would make sense that she and Pervy Sage talked before he took Naruto with him. "They're what helped you come to your decision." That last part isn't a question, and Naruto nods again. Seems she knows him too well, too. "It's time Sakura learned them, too, learned to internalize them like you have."

"Maybe, even if it came about in a way we didn't expect, this is her way," Shikamaru offers.

Lady Tsunade hums, a soft smile coming. "I was just thinking the same thing."

Naruto nods, grinning brightly. "Yeah!"

Chuckling, Tsunade finally rests Naruto's free arm at his side. "All right, there we go. Now try moving it around. Let's see how it feels."

Naruto does, experimentally lifting it a foot or so off the bed at first, then raising it all the way up and swinging it back and forth in a big wave before moving it forward and backward, then in a circle like he's rotating his shoulder. He tries a few more things, too, just to cover all the bases, and he beams Tsunade's way first thing. "It feels great, Granny! Good as new!" Putting both of his hands together, mostly just because he finally can, he bows his head low. "Thank you so much! You're the best!"

The remaining tension leaves Tsunade's shoulders, and she softens, a tender smile painting her lips. "Of course. I'm so glad."

Shikamaru grins widely. "All right! One more step toward recovery!" He reaches over for a high-five. "I'm happy for you, Naruto!"

Naruto laughs happily, knowing exactly what he's doing and appreciating it. He returns the high-five with his now-free hand. "Thanks, Shikamaru!"

Tsunade doesn't stay much longer, needing sleep after a long day as Hokage. Administering his sleeping meds before she goes and promising to visit soon, she winks on her way out the door. "Have fun tomorrow!"

The boys look at each other and shrug, still not sure what that means, but they figure they'll find out soon enough. Naruto yawns as Shikamaru settles back in his chair to get comfortable for the night, and his realization with Choji earlier filters back to the forefront of Naruto's mind. Seeing Shikamaru yawn himself, he figures now's as good a time as any.

"You're gonna be really sore if you keep sleeping like that." Shikamaru smirks a bit and opens his mouth to say he's open to suggestions when Naruto pats the space beside him. "Come up here with me, if ya want."

Shikamaru instantly flushes despite himself, glancing from Naruto to the bed and back. He shakes his head. "N-no way. You're still recovering. What if I kick you and just make it worse or something?"

"What if I have another nightmare and smack you in the face?" Naruto counters. Shikamaru blinks. "See? We both have con—" he's cut off by a yawn, longer than before, "—concerns… But knowing you, you'll sense me and won't kick, and knowing me, having you here will comfort me enough that I won't have any nightmares." He shrugs. "There. Problems solved."

He yawns again, and Shikamaru knows that means he won't be awake much longer. Reluctant as he is to admit it, Naruto makes some good points…and it would be nice to wake up without his back and neck killing him for once (not that he'd ever tell Naruto that, 'cause then he'd just worry)...

Finally, he looks back at Naruto and sighs a bit, smiling softly. "All right, knucklehead, make some room."

Brightening, Naruto pulls back the covers and scoots over, letting Shikamaru slip in beside him before pulling them back over. Even with both of them in the bed, there's still plenty of room to move if they need it. A perk of both of them being small, Shikamaru figures. That said, it only occurs to him now that he's never slept in a bed with someone else before. He feels like he should be nervous or…embarrassed, maybe? And he is, a tiny bit, but…nowhere near as much as he thought he'd be. Seriously, it's barely anything.

Given a moment, he laughs at himself. He really shouldn't be so surprised. This is Naruto, after all. Besides his teammates and parents, there's no one else he feels more at ease with. So, of course even something as supposedly intimate as sharing a bed wouldn't feel weird with him. Honestly… He really is something special. He has no idea how much.

Seeing his friend is about to lose his battle with sleep for real, Shikamaru shifts a little closer and threads their fingers together. If he's going to do this, he wants to do everything he can to keep the nightmares at bay and make Naruto feel as adored as he deserves.

Naruto smiles over at him sleepily. "Night, Shikamaru… Thanks…for staying…"

Shikamaru blinks at that, once again getting the feeling he means more than just the last few days, but before he can ask, Naruto's light snores fill the room. Shikamaru softens. Remembering that Naruto and Choji had a lot of time to themselves today, Shikamaru's guessing that means his little secret is out.

Chuckling, Shikamaru makes sure to pull the blankets up to his charge's neck and squeeze his hand. He settles in to watch over him while he sleeps. "No need to thank me. Sweet dreams, Naruto…"

A/N: This chapter's title references "Fruits Basket" reboot's season 2, episode 2, which is titled "Eat Somen with Your Friends!" (Also Shigure Sohma's line(s) from the ep, where the title comes from, which is "Sure, you'll still get anxious sometimes, but...when that happens? Just take a little break! Read a book, watch some TV, and...if all else fails, eat somen with your friends!")

Also, the little story about Ichiraku Ramen that Naruto tells was inspired by the child!Naruto and Teuchi interactions in Shippuden ending 34,"Niji no Sora." I embellished on it a bit, adding the bullies and the previous poisonings! ;D

Next is the long-awaited (mostly by me, lol) GAARA CHAPTER, which I'm so excited to show you guys! (Warning: it might be a long one, been planning it since I started this fic, basically, lol!)

Thanks so much for reading, as always!