The Way Things Are
folder
Naruto › Yaoi - Male/Male › Shikamaru/Neji
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
32
Views:
3,466
Reviews:
777
Recommended:
2
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Naruto › Yaoi - Male/Male › Shikamaru/Neji
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
32
Views:
3,466
Reviews:
777
Recommended:
2
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 30
I apologize for the lack of an update this past week! School has gotten hectic, I've been totally entranced with a new manga (Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Check it out on onemanga.com), and I've had a seriously huge writer's block. Not fun at all. ^_^; Anyhow, I hope you guys will like this chapter and there will be an epilogue after this. :)
REVIEW REPLIES
KatFO: Gotta love the sweet things, neh? As for the smut...well...you'll see. XD
Admiral ShadowWolf: Yes, isn't it a tragedy? No sex. >_< A work of art? *blush* Aw, thanks! ^_^
Ino-chan: I'm glad you liked it. ^_^ I hope that this writer's block ends soon so I can get to them. :D
Chibi-Berry: Gotta love the sweetness, neh? :D I really hope you'll like this chapter. :)
superwhore: No, I'm not bi-polar. ^_^; I have had all of this planned out in my head and I'm a little dramatic it seems. ^_^; Hopefully you'll like this chapter. :)
Dying Dreams: Flaming zombies? O_o haha, do you not like the waff? :P I hope you'll like the update. :D
Starry: I'm really glad that you've enjoyed it while I've been writing. Thank you!
Drivven Labyrinth: I'm glad you liked it. ^_^ Aw! *hugs back* :D
qwerty: Oh bummer. Looks like you'll have to get a filling. Eck... I'm happy that you liked it. :D Yay for a healthy Neji! haha
Annie: I'm sorry your week was so terrible. Hopefully it's over and this chapter will make this one better. ^_^
Twisted_Reaper: Sorry for the lack of updates. ^_^; And rehab may be the only way you'll survive. Hmmm...I'll see if I can get you a free month or something. XD
Damp: As funny as it would have been, Neji would have had to been drunk, REALLY drunk, to do that. haha I hope your cavities will be remedied soon. ^_^
jess249: I'm glad you liked it. ^_^ Yes, no sex. How will the two boys survive? XD
Im The Dobe: Neji does not like you right now. :P j/k And sorry, no Mpreg in this story. ^_^; I am glad that you've liked it though. :)
Tia: I'm happy that you liked it. ^_^
SG21: I think you cursed me because the exact opposite happened. XD Eh, no big deal. Anyhow, glad you had a great time and I hope that you'll enjoy the chappy! :D
Zenith-Kaitou: XD lol Nice way of putting that.
charmpit: *blush* Thank you. ^_^ Thank you very much. And I agree! *holds up Shikamaru/Neji banner*
amith: Yes, all good things must come to an end, but that doesn't mean more good things won't show up. XD Hopefully anyhow. ^_^ I'm glad you liked the last chapter.
Nickles: ^_^ Happy you liked it! No sex will be very hard for them to resist, ne? XD lol
Syake: Yay for waff! :D Erm...just...pretend that he can't. ^_^; At all. haha Reading over it again? ^_^ Aw...thanks!
yuurimaoh: You should have gone to bed, silly. :P Yes, knowing your spouse could die during sex would definitely not be very encouraging to ones arousal. XD I'm glad that you're calmed down and I hope you'll enjoy this one. ^_^
KandaLevi: Yay for more Shikamaru/Neji fans! :D And thank you so much for the compliment. I don't think I'm one of the best, but you certainly made my day by saying that. ^_^
Alice: XD Really? That's awesome.
hatsumomo: Yay for sweetness. :D I'm glad you liked it. Yes, no sex would be a bummer.
AngelicChaos: Thank you! :D I hope you'll enjoy this update!
yaoilovergirl: I'm glad that you think the waff was a good thing. ^_^ And yes, as soon as the damn writer's block leaves, I'll be giving you guys more. :) Much much more. XD After all, I still have to do the side fics for this one. XD
XoXgaaraXoX: Thank you. :) I hope you'll enjoy it!
Mina: I wish I could, but every story needs an ending. And just writing on and on till the boys died did not sound appealing to me (or many others). ^_^; Hopefully this will satisfying your cravings. ^_^
luxeflex: I'm glad you liked it. Make sure you scrub hard or you'll get cavities. XD
Erica: lol Yes, I was rather harsh with that, wasn't I? No sex...such a mean thing to do. XD Aw, I'm glad you think this story is that great. ^_^
Arieru: They will eventually adopt, but that won't be specified until the side fics I write for this story. :)
WickedMoment: Thanks! :D
Revine: Yup, no sex. Not a good thing, is it? Unless one of the parties needs to heal. ^_^; haha, Anyhow, I hope you'll like this update. (Thanks for joining my RP site by the way. :D)
nijikitsune: I'm so glad that you liked it. ^_^ You're idea didn't come to fruition. Doesn't that make you happy? XD lol Thank you so much! :D
Onto the chapter!
*******************************************************************************************
Chapter 30
“What do you mean you’re just letting them go?!”
Naruto sighed, blue eyes trying to calm the furious Nara down. It was an odd sight to see in itself to be honest. Shikamaru was rarely anything but calm and lazy. But in the past month he had seen the other show extreme emotions from sadness to anger. Which he was getting the full brunt of at the moment. Shikamaru looked absolutely furious with the news. Naruto wasn’t happy about it either, but it wasn’t his decision to make if he wanted to keep things peaceful.
“I’m not letting them go,” Naruto stated firmly. “I’m sending them back to the Kumogakure to be held for trial there. The Raikage has asked that this happen to them.”
Shikamaru frowned and he glared at the Hokage. He didn’t like it. Didn’t like that the five rogue nins from Kumo were just going to be allowed to go back without some form of punishment for the crimes they committed here in Konoha. On top of Neji’s near death experience, which he hated thinking about, they had verbally assaulted Naruto. That couldn’t just be left ignored. “So they don’t get punished for anything they’ve done here?”
Naruto frowned. “Of course they do. They almost killed one of the best shinobi of our village, one that other countries would love to get to serve under them. They insulted me by coming here thinking I was stupid enough to give them aid with no proof behind them. They invaded your family’s forest, which is, if I’m not mistaken, private land. They injured the family members that did meet them in the forest, even killed a few. They caused emotional, mental, and physical stress to many of the shinobi in this village, making them less more likely to be fit in a mission. I’m insisting that they get punished for these things by the Raikage. But then, you weren’t there when we found them, Shikamaru. You don’t know what we did to them. What Sasuke did alone was…unnerving.”
Shikamaru took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He really was overacting about this. “I’m sorry Naruto. I was-“
“They’re here, Hokage.”
Naruto sighed. “Send them in.”
Shikamaru stepped to the side of Naruto’s desk, dressed in his jounin clothes, chakra sensing two ANBU hidden in the office. He could easily tell that one was Sasuke, but the other he didn’t know. It was new. His train of thought immediately changed as Ibiki and a few other guards brought in the five ninja that were being sent back to Kumo. His blood boiled at the smirk that a few of them held on their faces, but he forced himself to stay calm and not growl.
“I’m glad to see that you’ve all recovered so nicely,” Naruto said sarcastically, his grin mocking. Shikamaru was sure that he heard Sasuke snort. “I trust you’re all doing well?”
“Cut the crap,” Souta growled.
“Patience, Souta,” Osamu stated.
“Osamu’s right,” Hiroto nodded. “We need to let the Hokage finish.”
“So kind of you,” Naruto said sardonically. “I wonder, are you always this polite to those you’ve insulted?”
“Why, Hokage, I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” Hiroto mocked.
Naruto smirked and nodded towards one of the guards, who turned towards the five and unrolled a scroll. Shikamaru’s fists were tightly clenched at this point, but his mind was focusing on how well Naruto was going along with the other’s mocking and returning it in kind. It was odd to see Naruto being smug, as that was usually Sasuke’s and Neji’s forte. He listened as the guard then read the list in his hands, reading off what the five rogue nin’s had done offensively towards Konoha. Naruto hadn’t missed a thing.
“Now,” Naruto said once the guard and rolled the scroll up and placed it on his desk, “I think I’ve covered everything. Is there anything else that you’d like to add to the list?”
Kenta snorted. “What about the guy I stabbed? He died, right?”
Shikamaru tensed, eyes focusing on that particular nin who just so happened to be the closest one to him. So he was the one who did it…
“I’d watch what you say,” Naruto warned, eyes flaring. “Very carefully.”
Kenta sneered. “What? Don’t like the fact that I killed your precious Hyuuga?”
Unable to hold back any longer, Shikamaru brought his fist back and slammed it with Kenta’s face, sending the nin sprawling onto the ground. His comrades turned to react, only to have Ibiki’s men step in the way. But Naruto couldn’t let Shikamaru continue and Sasuke appeared, restraining the Nara. Shikamaru growled, but made very little movements to protest being held back. Ibiki roughly lifted Kenta to his feet, the rogue nin glaring at Shikamaru.
“What the hell is your problem?” Kenta growled as he was pushed back into the line.
“I told you to watch what you say,” Naruto said nonchalantly. “That just so happens to be the husband of the man you stabbed.”
Kenta’s glare turned into a look of glee and Shikamaru’s eyes narrowed. “Ah! Sad that I killed your little lover?”
“Unfortunately for you, I wasn’t killed. I’d very much appreciate it if you would stop aggravating my husband. After all, I’m the one who has to sleep with him.”
The five Kumo nin turned around, faces full of shock as Neji stood calmly in front of the door of the Hokage’s office. Naruto smirked at the flapping jaws as the Hyuuga made his way over to Shikamaru. Sasuke immediately released the Nara and moved to the side of Naruto’s desk. There was no point in him hiding, now that he had revealed his position to the others. Shikaku followed inside shortly after Neji and nodded to Naruto.
“It’s about time you got here, Nara Shikaku,” Naruto huffed.
Shikaku chuckled. “Sorry, but I didn’t want to be here during all the fake niceties. Although it looks like I missed more than that.”
Ibiki snorted. “Your son lost his cool, for once.”
“Oh?” Shikaku grinned. “Who’s the one that got decked? Would it be the one closest to him?”
“Your father’s almost as terrifying as you sometimes, Shikamaru, knowing everything without even being here,” Naruto grumbled.
Shikamaru merely shrugged, too angry to say anything. He wanted to beat the life out of each and every one of the Kumo rogue nins. Neji could see this, yet knew that the Nara wouldn’t want anyone in the room to see him try and be comforting.
“Gentlemen,” Ibiki said, clearing his throat, “allow me to introduce you to the captain of the team that will be escorting you back to Kumogakure, Nara Shikaku. Let me advise you that it would be foolish to try and escape him as he controls the very shadows touching your bodies, with some very…dangerous extensions to those shadows. It would also be wise to keep in mind that Shikaku has quite a fondness for Hyuuga Neji and won’t tolerate any foul words about him.”
“He cares more for the white-eyed guy than he does his own son?” Daichi snorted. “That’s fu-“
“He cares about Neji just as much as his son,” Naruto interrupted, “but is more protective over Neji, not that either of them need it. He just doesn’t like hear insults about his favorite son-in-law.”
“Only son-in-law, Hokage,” Shikaku smirked, eyes settling on the Kumo nins. They almost shivered with the look of promise he was giving them. “Well, let’s get this show on the road. The scroll?”
Naruto tossed it to older Nara. “Make sure you deliver it straight to the Raikage’s hands.”
“Alright, alright,” Shikaku said nonchalantly. “Later, Rokudaime.” With that he turned and left the office, Ibiki and the others escorting the slightly shaken Kumo nins out of the office. The minute the door was closed, Naruto sighed, leaning back in his chair as the other ANBU member revealed himself, only to have Naruto nod him away. Once the man was gone, Sasuke let out a soft sigh before he pushed his mask to the side of his face.
Naruto smirked. “Hey, you’re not supposed to do that while on duty.”
Sasuke smirked. “Hn. You startled me there, Nara, punching that guy like you did.”
“I would have killed him if you hadn’t stopped me,” Shikamaru muttered, receiving a stern look from Neji.
“I would have let you if I didn’t want to start a war,” Naruto huffed.
“Hokage!” Neji cried.
“They almost killed you, Neji,” Naruto stated. “From the village’s standpoint, you’re one of our best shinobi. Losing you would, to a degree, be devastating. More importantly though, you’re a friend. I almost killed one of them that night.”
“We all almost did. Lee knocked one out with a single kick,” Sasuke stated. “Then he rushed to the hospital to make sure you were alright. Akamaru had almost ripped the throat out of another with his jaws, and Kiba gutted another just the same.”
“Yeah, but yours was the worst. He wouldn’t stop screaming as soon as you were done with him,” Naruto mumbled. “When did you get the Mangekyou Sharingan?”
“A little while ago,” Sasuke smirked. “I finally found a way to obtain it without having to kill you.”
Naruto snorted. “As if you could.”
“As much as I’d like to stick around, I really need to get this one home,” Neji stated, poking Shikamaru in the chest. “You ran off so suddenly.”
“Sorry,” Shikamaru grumbled, eyes downcast. Neji frowned and quickly nodded a farewell to Naruto and Sasuke before he quickly wrapped his arms around the other and created the seals to jump them back home. Once inside of their room, Neji sighed. The Nara was far too tense for his tastes and he needed to change that. He quickly stripped the other of his vest and shirt before he shoved him face first onto their bed.
“Neji, what are-“
“Quiet,” Neji ordered, grabbing a vial of oil from one of the drawers on the bottom of their bed. He poured some onto his hands and rubbed them together after he capped it and placed them flat against the other’s back. He gently began to knead the muscles in Shikamaru’s shoulders, grinning when he heard a pleased sigh escape from his lips. He continued to give the other a thorough massage, removing any knots he could find.
“Thanks Nej,” Shikamaru mumbled softly, almost tiredly.
“You haven’t relaxed since I’ve been home,” Neji whispered, rubbing his hands soothingly over the lower end of the Nara’s back. “You’ve been so uptight about everything. What happened to my lazy Shika?”
“He got hit in the face with reality,” Shikamaru sighed, opening his eyes.
Neji leaned down and placed a soft kiss at the base of the other’s neck, smiling when he felt a shiver run down the other’s back. “Shika, you need to let it go. I’m alive and well, with only three weeks left till we can have sweaty nights again.” He emphasized that with a wiggle of his hips, forcing an amused snort from the Nara’s mouth. “It might even be sooner than that. Sakura said that my body was doing better than she had originally hoped, considering the trauma it’s gone through.”
Shikamaru sat up abruptly, grabbing Neji’s hands and rolling him onto the spot next to him. He straddled the other, still holding his hands and stared at him. Neji merely looked back before a smirk crossed his lips. He leaned up and pressed them gently against the Nara’s, letting his tongue flick out and catch the other’s bottom lip with it. Shikamaru pressed back softly, letting Neji’s hands return to what they were previously doing, although it was at a different angle.
“Are you going to go back to your normal self?” Neji asked softly, leaning back into the pillows. “Or am I going to have to be stuck with a remorseful, whiny husband for the rest of my life?”
Shikamaru merely stared at him before a smirk crawled onto his face. “Which would you prefer?”
Neji smirked in return. “What do you think?” He wrapped his arms around Shikamaru’s neck and sighed when the other lied down next to him. He snuggled close to the other, his oily fingers resting on the other’s equally oily back. Shikamaru kissed his forehead and closed his eyes taking in a deep breath before he relaxed completely.
“So, who do you think did the most damage to those five nins?” Shikamaru asked, smirking.
He wasn’t surprised when Neji playfully hit him.
*******************************************************************************************
Yay for more sweetness. XD I'm pretty sure you guys will like the epilogue. I just hope I can get it typed up soon. ^_^; Again, I'm really sorry about the break! Yes, the epilogue is next. Technically, this is the last 'chapter' of the story. Hope to have the epilogue up soon! :D
REVIEW REPLIES
KatFO: Gotta love the sweet things, neh? As for the smut...well...you'll see. XD
Admiral ShadowWolf: Yes, isn't it a tragedy? No sex. >_< A work of art? *blush* Aw, thanks! ^_^
Ino-chan: I'm glad you liked it. ^_^ I hope that this writer's block ends soon so I can get to them. :D
Chibi-Berry: Gotta love the sweetness, neh? :D I really hope you'll like this chapter. :)
superwhore: No, I'm not bi-polar. ^_^; I have had all of this planned out in my head and I'm a little dramatic it seems. ^_^; Hopefully you'll like this chapter. :)
Dying Dreams: Flaming zombies? O_o haha, do you not like the waff? :P I hope you'll like the update. :D
Starry: I'm really glad that you've enjoyed it while I've been writing. Thank you!
Drivven Labyrinth: I'm glad you liked it. ^_^ Aw! *hugs back* :D
qwerty: Oh bummer. Looks like you'll have to get a filling. Eck... I'm happy that you liked it. :D Yay for a healthy Neji! haha
Annie: I'm sorry your week was so terrible. Hopefully it's over and this chapter will make this one better. ^_^
Twisted_Reaper: Sorry for the lack of updates. ^_^; And rehab may be the only way you'll survive. Hmmm...I'll see if I can get you a free month or something. XD
Damp: As funny as it would have been, Neji would have had to been drunk, REALLY drunk, to do that. haha I hope your cavities will be remedied soon. ^_^
jess249: I'm glad you liked it. ^_^ Yes, no sex. How will the two boys survive? XD
Im The Dobe: Neji does not like you right now. :P j/k And sorry, no Mpreg in this story. ^_^; I am glad that you've liked it though. :)
Tia: I'm happy that you liked it. ^_^
SG21: I think you cursed me because the exact opposite happened. XD Eh, no big deal. Anyhow, glad you had a great time and I hope that you'll enjoy the chappy! :D
Zenith-Kaitou: XD lol Nice way of putting that.
charmpit: *blush* Thank you. ^_^ Thank you very much. And I agree! *holds up Shikamaru/Neji banner*
amith: Yes, all good things must come to an end, but that doesn't mean more good things won't show up. XD Hopefully anyhow. ^_^ I'm glad you liked the last chapter.
Nickles: ^_^ Happy you liked it! No sex will be very hard for them to resist, ne? XD lol
Syake: Yay for waff! :D Erm...just...pretend that he can't. ^_^; At all. haha Reading over it again? ^_^ Aw...thanks!
yuurimaoh: You should have gone to bed, silly. :P Yes, knowing your spouse could die during sex would definitely not be very encouraging to ones arousal. XD I'm glad that you're calmed down and I hope you'll enjoy this one. ^_^
KandaLevi: Yay for more Shikamaru/Neji fans! :D And thank you so much for the compliment. I don't think I'm one of the best, but you certainly made my day by saying that. ^_^
Alice: XD Really? That's awesome.
hatsumomo: Yay for sweetness. :D I'm glad you liked it. Yes, no sex would be a bummer.
AngelicChaos: Thank you! :D I hope you'll enjoy this update!
yaoilovergirl: I'm glad that you think the waff was a good thing. ^_^ And yes, as soon as the damn writer's block leaves, I'll be giving you guys more. :) Much much more. XD After all, I still have to do the side fics for this one. XD
XoXgaaraXoX: Thank you. :) I hope you'll enjoy it!
Mina: I wish I could, but every story needs an ending. And just writing on and on till the boys died did not sound appealing to me (or many others). ^_^; Hopefully this will satisfying your cravings. ^_^
luxeflex: I'm glad you liked it. Make sure you scrub hard or you'll get cavities. XD
Erica: lol Yes, I was rather harsh with that, wasn't I? No sex...such a mean thing to do. XD Aw, I'm glad you think this story is that great. ^_^
Arieru: They will eventually adopt, but that won't be specified until the side fics I write for this story. :)
WickedMoment: Thanks! :D
Revine: Yup, no sex. Not a good thing, is it? Unless one of the parties needs to heal. ^_^; haha, Anyhow, I hope you'll like this update. (Thanks for joining my RP site by the way. :D)
nijikitsune: I'm so glad that you liked it. ^_^ You're idea didn't come to fruition. Doesn't that make you happy? XD lol Thank you so much! :D
Onto the chapter!
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Chapter 30
“What do you mean you’re just letting them go?!”
Naruto sighed, blue eyes trying to calm the furious Nara down. It was an odd sight to see in itself to be honest. Shikamaru was rarely anything but calm and lazy. But in the past month he had seen the other show extreme emotions from sadness to anger. Which he was getting the full brunt of at the moment. Shikamaru looked absolutely furious with the news. Naruto wasn’t happy about it either, but it wasn’t his decision to make if he wanted to keep things peaceful.
“I’m not letting them go,” Naruto stated firmly. “I’m sending them back to the Kumogakure to be held for trial there. The Raikage has asked that this happen to them.”
Shikamaru frowned and he glared at the Hokage. He didn’t like it. Didn’t like that the five rogue nins from Kumo were just going to be allowed to go back without some form of punishment for the crimes they committed here in Konoha. On top of Neji’s near death experience, which he hated thinking about, they had verbally assaulted Naruto. That couldn’t just be left ignored. “So they don’t get punished for anything they’ve done here?”
Naruto frowned. “Of course they do. They almost killed one of the best shinobi of our village, one that other countries would love to get to serve under them. They insulted me by coming here thinking I was stupid enough to give them aid with no proof behind them. They invaded your family’s forest, which is, if I’m not mistaken, private land. They injured the family members that did meet them in the forest, even killed a few. They caused emotional, mental, and physical stress to many of the shinobi in this village, making them less more likely to be fit in a mission. I’m insisting that they get punished for these things by the Raikage. But then, you weren’t there when we found them, Shikamaru. You don’t know what we did to them. What Sasuke did alone was…unnerving.”
Shikamaru took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He really was overacting about this. “I’m sorry Naruto. I was-“
“They’re here, Hokage.”
Naruto sighed. “Send them in.”
Shikamaru stepped to the side of Naruto’s desk, dressed in his jounin clothes, chakra sensing two ANBU hidden in the office. He could easily tell that one was Sasuke, but the other he didn’t know. It was new. His train of thought immediately changed as Ibiki and a few other guards brought in the five ninja that were being sent back to Kumo. His blood boiled at the smirk that a few of them held on their faces, but he forced himself to stay calm and not growl.
“I’m glad to see that you’ve all recovered so nicely,” Naruto said sarcastically, his grin mocking. Shikamaru was sure that he heard Sasuke snort. “I trust you’re all doing well?”
“Cut the crap,” Souta growled.
“Patience, Souta,” Osamu stated.
“Osamu’s right,” Hiroto nodded. “We need to let the Hokage finish.”
“So kind of you,” Naruto said sardonically. “I wonder, are you always this polite to those you’ve insulted?”
“Why, Hokage, I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” Hiroto mocked.
Naruto smirked and nodded towards one of the guards, who turned towards the five and unrolled a scroll. Shikamaru’s fists were tightly clenched at this point, but his mind was focusing on how well Naruto was going along with the other’s mocking and returning it in kind. It was odd to see Naruto being smug, as that was usually Sasuke’s and Neji’s forte. He listened as the guard then read the list in his hands, reading off what the five rogue nin’s had done offensively towards Konoha. Naruto hadn’t missed a thing.
“Now,” Naruto said once the guard and rolled the scroll up and placed it on his desk, “I think I’ve covered everything. Is there anything else that you’d like to add to the list?”
Kenta snorted. “What about the guy I stabbed? He died, right?”
Shikamaru tensed, eyes focusing on that particular nin who just so happened to be the closest one to him. So he was the one who did it…
“I’d watch what you say,” Naruto warned, eyes flaring. “Very carefully.”
Kenta sneered. “What? Don’t like the fact that I killed your precious Hyuuga?”
Unable to hold back any longer, Shikamaru brought his fist back and slammed it with Kenta’s face, sending the nin sprawling onto the ground. His comrades turned to react, only to have Ibiki’s men step in the way. But Naruto couldn’t let Shikamaru continue and Sasuke appeared, restraining the Nara. Shikamaru growled, but made very little movements to protest being held back. Ibiki roughly lifted Kenta to his feet, the rogue nin glaring at Shikamaru.
“What the hell is your problem?” Kenta growled as he was pushed back into the line.
“I told you to watch what you say,” Naruto said nonchalantly. “That just so happens to be the husband of the man you stabbed.”
Kenta’s glare turned into a look of glee and Shikamaru’s eyes narrowed. “Ah! Sad that I killed your little lover?”
“Unfortunately for you, I wasn’t killed. I’d very much appreciate it if you would stop aggravating my husband. After all, I’m the one who has to sleep with him.”
The five Kumo nin turned around, faces full of shock as Neji stood calmly in front of the door of the Hokage’s office. Naruto smirked at the flapping jaws as the Hyuuga made his way over to Shikamaru. Sasuke immediately released the Nara and moved to the side of Naruto’s desk. There was no point in him hiding, now that he had revealed his position to the others. Shikaku followed inside shortly after Neji and nodded to Naruto.
“It’s about time you got here, Nara Shikaku,” Naruto huffed.
Shikaku chuckled. “Sorry, but I didn’t want to be here during all the fake niceties. Although it looks like I missed more than that.”
Ibiki snorted. “Your son lost his cool, for once.”
“Oh?” Shikaku grinned. “Who’s the one that got decked? Would it be the one closest to him?”
“Your father’s almost as terrifying as you sometimes, Shikamaru, knowing everything without even being here,” Naruto grumbled.
Shikamaru merely shrugged, too angry to say anything. He wanted to beat the life out of each and every one of the Kumo rogue nins. Neji could see this, yet knew that the Nara wouldn’t want anyone in the room to see him try and be comforting.
“Gentlemen,” Ibiki said, clearing his throat, “allow me to introduce you to the captain of the team that will be escorting you back to Kumogakure, Nara Shikaku. Let me advise you that it would be foolish to try and escape him as he controls the very shadows touching your bodies, with some very…dangerous extensions to those shadows. It would also be wise to keep in mind that Shikaku has quite a fondness for Hyuuga Neji and won’t tolerate any foul words about him.”
“He cares more for the white-eyed guy than he does his own son?” Daichi snorted. “That’s fu-“
“He cares about Neji just as much as his son,” Naruto interrupted, “but is more protective over Neji, not that either of them need it. He just doesn’t like hear insults about his favorite son-in-law.”
“Only son-in-law, Hokage,” Shikaku smirked, eyes settling on the Kumo nins. They almost shivered with the look of promise he was giving them. “Well, let’s get this show on the road. The scroll?”
Naruto tossed it to older Nara. “Make sure you deliver it straight to the Raikage’s hands.”
“Alright, alright,” Shikaku said nonchalantly. “Later, Rokudaime.” With that he turned and left the office, Ibiki and the others escorting the slightly shaken Kumo nins out of the office. The minute the door was closed, Naruto sighed, leaning back in his chair as the other ANBU member revealed himself, only to have Naruto nod him away. Once the man was gone, Sasuke let out a soft sigh before he pushed his mask to the side of his face.
Naruto smirked. “Hey, you’re not supposed to do that while on duty.”
Sasuke smirked. “Hn. You startled me there, Nara, punching that guy like you did.”
“I would have killed him if you hadn’t stopped me,” Shikamaru muttered, receiving a stern look from Neji.
“I would have let you if I didn’t want to start a war,” Naruto huffed.
“Hokage!” Neji cried.
“They almost killed you, Neji,” Naruto stated. “From the village’s standpoint, you’re one of our best shinobi. Losing you would, to a degree, be devastating. More importantly though, you’re a friend. I almost killed one of them that night.”
“We all almost did. Lee knocked one out with a single kick,” Sasuke stated. “Then he rushed to the hospital to make sure you were alright. Akamaru had almost ripped the throat out of another with his jaws, and Kiba gutted another just the same.”
“Yeah, but yours was the worst. He wouldn’t stop screaming as soon as you were done with him,” Naruto mumbled. “When did you get the Mangekyou Sharingan?”
“A little while ago,” Sasuke smirked. “I finally found a way to obtain it without having to kill you.”
Naruto snorted. “As if you could.”
“As much as I’d like to stick around, I really need to get this one home,” Neji stated, poking Shikamaru in the chest. “You ran off so suddenly.”
“Sorry,” Shikamaru grumbled, eyes downcast. Neji frowned and quickly nodded a farewell to Naruto and Sasuke before he quickly wrapped his arms around the other and created the seals to jump them back home. Once inside of their room, Neji sighed. The Nara was far too tense for his tastes and he needed to change that. He quickly stripped the other of his vest and shirt before he shoved him face first onto their bed.
“Neji, what are-“
“Quiet,” Neji ordered, grabbing a vial of oil from one of the drawers on the bottom of their bed. He poured some onto his hands and rubbed them together after he capped it and placed them flat against the other’s back. He gently began to knead the muscles in Shikamaru’s shoulders, grinning when he heard a pleased sigh escape from his lips. He continued to give the other a thorough massage, removing any knots he could find.
“Thanks Nej,” Shikamaru mumbled softly, almost tiredly.
“You haven’t relaxed since I’ve been home,” Neji whispered, rubbing his hands soothingly over the lower end of the Nara’s back. “You’ve been so uptight about everything. What happened to my lazy Shika?”
“He got hit in the face with reality,” Shikamaru sighed, opening his eyes.
Neji leaned down and placed a soft kiss at the base of the other’s neck, smiling when he felt a shiver run down the other’s back. “Shika, you need to let it go. I’m alive and well, with only three weeks left till we can have sweaty nights again.” He emphasized that with a wiggle of his hips, forcing an amused snort from the Nara’s mouth. “It might even be sooner than that. Sakura said that my body was doing better than she had originally hoped, considering the trauma it’s gone through.”
Shikamaru sat up abruptly, grabbing Neji’s hands and rolling him onto the spot next to him. He straddled the other, still holding his hands and stared at him. Neji merely looked back before a smirk crossed his lips. He leaned up and pressed them gently against the Nara’s, letting his tongue flick out and catch the other’s bottom lip with it. Shikamaru pressed back softly, letting Neji’s hands return to what they were previously doing, although it was at a different angle.
“Are you going to go back to your normal self?” Neji asked softly, leaning back into the pillows. “Or am I going to have to be stuck with a remorseful, whiny husband for the rest of my life?”
Shikamaru merely stared at him before a smirk crawled onto his face. “Which would you prefer?”
Neji smirked in return. “What do you think?” He wrapped his arms around Shikamaru’s neck and sighed when the other lied down next to him. He snuggled close to the other, his oily fingers resting on the other’s equally oily back. Shikamaru kissed his forehead and closed his eyes taking in a deep breath before he relaxed completely.
“So, who do you think did the most damage to those five nins?” Shikamaru asked, smirking.
He wasn’t surprised when Neji playfully hit him.
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Yay for more sweetness. XD I'm pretty sure you guys will like the epilogue. I just hope I can get it typed up soon. ^_^; Again, I'm really sorry about the break! Yes, the epilogue is next. Technically, this is the last 'chapter' of the story. Hope to have the epilogue up soon! :D