Nara OneShots

Happy Family

Requested by: PsycoBitch

Modern AU

Naruto squirmed on the bench, his eyes following his son while he noted the dark energy radiating beside him. It was a mistake to come back to Konoha. Biggest mistake but he just wanted to see Shikamaru again. It had been around ten years since high school. He's a dropout, no shame in it. He got pregnant. 

"Why didn't you say anything?" Shikamaru's voice was dark with anger. "How dare you come back here with a child that's practically my clone and not tell me?"

"I'm sorry," Naruto apologized. "It doesn't make up for it in the least bit. He looks nothing like me, he only has my eyes. He's seen pictures of you though. He knows who you are and you might be upset at the sight of him." 

"I asked why you didn't say anything to me," Shikamaru clenched his fists. 

"What could I say? We were just fucking Shikamaru, we weren't in a relationship-"

"Because you didn't want it," Shikamaru snapped. "I wanted you in all capacities. You were the one who said you weren't ready. How can you say that then but be ready to buck up regarding a child? How could you leave me here with no way to contact you and have the balls to show your face when I've missed all the important milestones!" 

Naruto started crying softly. "I'm sorry." 

"Why are you here?" Shikamaru growled. "Since I'm already a person in your eyes who wouldn't want a child since you ran off and ghosted me on all communication." 

"Shikadai just wants to see you," Naruto choked out. "It's all he ever talks about. I bit the bullet and came."

"And now that he's seen me what's going to happen now?" Shikamaru looked back out at the boy playing on the monkey bars. "Are you gonna disappear again when I'm close to him?" 

"I would never do that to the both of you," Naruto denied vehemently but crumbled when Shikamaru gave him a glaring side-eye. 

"You know ten years ago I might have believed you. But now. Knowing you ran off with the child instead of telling me the truth we could've worked together. I would have given anything back then, gone against my parents, and friends, dropped out of school anything and everything if you had told me this. I would've figured it out for us," Shikamaru wanted to pull his ponytail out. 

"I know you would've," Naruto admitted. "But I didn't want that. Deep down I knew you would sacrifice yourself but it wasn't right to put your life in a stall. I didn't want you to get disowned and I knew our friends would judge." 

"And they wouldn't do all those things now?" Shikamaru challenged. 

"It's been ten years Shikamaru," Naruto dried his tears. "If it isn't sorted by now then you're not efficient anymore." 

It made Shikamaru crack a smile. He reached for Naruto's hand and intertwined their fingers. "I don't forgive you, I don't think I ever will. I don't even love you now, you've cut me so deep with your vanishing, and reappearing now makes me feel very bitter, and I have the primal rage to hit you but I am far more emotionally stable." 

Naruto squeezed his hand. "I didn't come back to seek a relationship." 

"I'm glad, the ship sunk a long time ago."

**************

The clacking of pieces could be heard as both males sat across each other from the Shogi board. Shikamaru was impressed, to say the least by the complexity of his son's mind. He wasn't even thinking, he was just matching move for move. "If I didn't know better I would think you've been playing me for years." 

"Sorta," Shikadai mumbled. "Mom has a photographic memory so he'll always show me your games every night for an hour before bed. He wasn't the best player on his own but he was surprisingly very efficient in recreating your games for me to know your thought process." 

Shikamaru was a bit touched. Naruto did pay homage to him in some aspects, Shikadai's name being the biggest one. He didn't say this to the boy but Shikadai was one of the names his father mentioned to be perfect for Shikamaru's firstborn be it boy or girl. Naruto had been in the room for that conversation. Shikadai's last name was Nara, he knew about the Nara clan customs and wore the insignia on his clothes. Naruto was right when he said Shikadai only inherited his eyes. Everything else was like looking at the younger version of himself. 

"What else, aside from the obvious did your mother do to make you more aware of me?" 

"He told stories about your childhood, your plans with his pranks," Shikadai smiled fondly at that. "Mom's a bit of an airhead but I'm sure you know. He showed me pictures of my grandparents and took me to a deer farm, I spent summers there to learn how to care for them." 

"Sounds like he did a lot," Shikamaru noted. 

"Yeah, so much so I had to ask what are his traditions," Shikadai frowned. "Mom told me he doesn't have any roots to give me so I had to take them from you. I then asked to meet you, to see what he was saying and so far it's been spot on. I love this. I like my grandparents. The clan. The deer. Mom has instilled everything that the Nara clan stands for." 

"Where are you going with this?" Shikamaru felt Shikadai was going to tell him something that would shake him a bit. 

Shikadai gazed into his father's eyes. 'Those aren't the eyes of Nara, those are Naruto's. That fierce loyalty.' 

"Mom cries a lot when she thinks I'm asleep. We share a bed, I'm a light sleeper. I listen to cries of apologies for not being good enough, for not having anything to pass down other than what he could cobble together from years of watching you. You're an impressive man father and I understand why Mom chose to hide me away. You weren't ready. You would not be this in front of me if Mom and I stayed. He made the selfish choice, yes but ultimately you focused on your growth," Shikadai leaned forward. 

"Shikadai you don't have to be swayed by Naruto's tears-" 

He was cut off by Shikadai narrowing his gaze. 

"But I have to be swayed," He became sinister and Shikamaru saw what aspect of Naruto Shikadai had gotten. It was a subtle danger of a fox lying in wait, prey just in sight and once he pounced he had the intention to tear him up into pieces. "Those are my mother's tears. Tears he shed for years for an ungrateful man who treats him with a distinct detachment. I'm not saying play happy family but don't you dare treat my mother so coldly. Although you might be better for me in the long term I'll stay by my mother's feet." 

Shikamaru raised his eyebrow and nodded. Shikadai blinked and the kitsune was back to resting as he got back in position and played his next move.