Geniusly Compatible

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.


Summery: The sequel to ‘More than a Genius.’ Neji and Shikamaru decide to continue what had started on their last mission, but what exactly is one supposed to 'do' on a date with Hyuuga Neji? Shikamaru will have to find out the hard way...

This story is a continuation of ‘More than a Genius,’ to avoid confusion please read it first! This it is unbeta'd and full of errors, so please forgive the bad grammaticals.

""--spoken
''--inner
WARNING! Some PRON content ahead!
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Chapter 5: Side Dish

Fifteen minutes after leaving the Takinawa granary found Nara Shikamaru desperately rifling through his small refrigerator. ‘I have to bring something!’ Shikamaru dug deeper into his icebox, tossing aside sticky condiment jars and half empty juice bottles along the way.

‘It’s the Hyuuga Estate for the First’s sake! I can’t just arrive to a meal empty handed!’ he made a sound of disgust when his searching revealed a moldy peach. After tossing the offending fruit into the rubbish bin, Shikamaru fell backwards onto his rump and sighed with exasperation. “Nothing. Curse it all!”

He scratched the back of his head and brain stormed for an alternative solution. “I used the last of my paycheck for rent, so buying something fancy is out.” Shikamaru glanced up to the telephone and suppressed a shudder.

‘There’s no way around it.’ His lips formed into a tight grimace as he reached for the phone to dial his mother.

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His mother had said one hour. One hour. She was late.

Shikamaru was already dressed and ready, and had been impatiently waiting for the last fifteen minutes for his mother to arrive. No doubt she was stopped by Mrs. Whatshername with the latest and greatest of juicy neighborhood gossip, of which Mrs. Nara had quite an appetite for.

Shikamaru glanced up to the small mirror on the wall to check his appearance for the umpteenth time. He had decided to wear his best clothing tonight, which consisted of a black button-down shirt with the Nara clan’s insignia printed on the back, light blue pants with a kunai pouch strapped to his right thigh, and new black sandals. His fishnet arm sleeves peeked out from where he had rolled up the sleeves of the black shirt, which were a little long for him. His more formal clothing had become moth eaten and musty with neglect, and Shikamaru had no illusions of trying to shop for new clothes so late in the afternoon. He sincerely hoped that he looked presentable enough for the Hyuuga estate. Or for Neji, at least.

One of Shikamaru’s sandaled foot tapped the floor with agitation. Where was his mother? The fifteen minutes was quickly turning into twenty...

Then he heard it: the unmistakable sound of his mother’s footsteps echoing down the apartment deck. Shikamaru leapt from his bed and opened the door in time to stand face-to-face with his mother’s scrutinizing glare.

“Is that all that you have to wear?” his mother Shikato scowled (as usual, greeting her son with a complaint). “I’ll have to take you shopping for proper clothes sometime. I doubt that members of the Hyuuga clan dress so causually.”

“It’s all right mom, really...” Shikamaru remained in the doorway, blocking his mother from entering the apartment and further delaying him. “I’m a bit short on time.”

“Of course you are.” Shikato’s expression softened considerably. “Oh! The meat took much longer to cook than I had thought. And of course Mrs. Kuroyama stopped me on the way over. You would never guess that she-”

“The house gift, Mom.”

Shikato rolled her eyes and sighed. “Very well. Here.” She handed Shikamaru a small box wrapped up in a large cloth napkin patterned with the Nara clan’s mark. “It’s fresh from the grill, so be mindful that you do not burn your mouth” she cautioned.

“What is it?” Shikamaru shook the package thoughtfully. “Is it katsudon?”

“Venison Tataki.” Shikato spoke of her dish with pride. Deer meat from the Nara farm was considered a special delicacy among Konoha’s upper class. And Shikamaru’s mother was especially proud of her tataki recipe. “One of the older stags had a bad fall in the ditch and your father had to put it down, the poor thing. Fortunately, it’s meat isn’t as stringy as I thought it might to be.”

“Which buck was it?” Shikamaru had opened the cloth bag and peeked inside the container.

“The one with a white patch under it’s chin...um, what did we call it?”

“Hana-chan?” Shikamaru squeaked, nearly dropping the package. A mortified expression took over his normally placid features. “Hana died?”

Shikato noticed her son’s distress and patted him reassuringly on the cheek. “Yes. Remember that he was a very old deer, love. You were just a toddler when he was born, he lived much longer than any old buck should. It was bound to have happened one of these days.” Realizing that Shikamaru’s expression was not improving, Shikato gave her son a playful poke in the shoulder. “Honestly! Naming a stag ‘Hana’* of all things! It’s a wonder that it grew antlers at all!” she chuckled. Shikamaru returned her good humor with a weak smile.

“Since you’re in such a hurry, I’ll be off.” Shikato busily brushed aside a few loose strands of hair from Shikamaru’s face and straightened his shirt collar. She did not notice that her son offered little resistance to her motherly grooming, like he normally did. “Make sure to mind yourself and not fall asleep in front of anyone. I’ll call you later.”

Shikamaru remained rigid in the doorway as he watched his mother leave. After he was sure that she was gone, the crooked smile finally slipped and he stared glumly at the package that contained the gourmet remains of his childhood pet.

“Why this? Why now?” he groaned out loud to himself. Then, with some effort he mournfully trudged towards the Hyuuga Estate with the package in hand.


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As one of the higher ranking Hyuuga clansman residing in the main house, Hyuuga Neji’s quarters were furnished with fittings that befitted an apartment more than personal quarters inside a mansion. His living space was more than three times the size of Shikamaru’s apartment, and hosted not only a spacious bathroom and living room, but also a small kitchen in its own separate room.

And right now, he was rather grateful to have his own little kitchen that gave him access to his first try at making nikujaga stew. Neji looked at the steaming potato and steak stew and allowed a small smile of self satisfaction to form. In all honesty, it didn’t look like anything any restaurant would serve, but it was the taste that counted in the end.

Neji was not used to cooking, but when he did commit to make a meal he was as meticulous with it as he was with his physical training.

‘That should be enough’ he thought as he pulled the pot from the stove and poured the steaming contents into an elaborate blue ceramic bowl. He brought the nikujaga into the living room and placed it onto a short table made of dark wood.

The Hyuuga mansion’s style was traditional, so most of the living quarters had living rooms that doubled as a bedroom at night with a plush futon rolled up and stored in a closet. Neji’s quarters however, were large enough to accommodate both a large futon and a short dining table in the room, with plenty of space to spare.

The young Hyuuga unconsciously smoothed out his sleeve. Neji felt unusually nervous at the prospect of Shikamaru visiting his home. Getting himself ready had been quite an ordeal: At first he had decided to wear his best clothes, then thought against it knowing that Shikamaru would most likely dress casually. Then after a frantic search though his closet, Neji found one of his old training yukatas that were still in decent shape. It was a loose fitting grey yukata with navy blue trim; a simple design. Neji thought it suited the fall weather and his expected company.

He was aware of Shikamaru’s presence behind the door before he even knocked. Neji padded over to the wooden sliding door, his bare feet making soft noises on the tatami floor mats. It was not yet cold enough to wear tabi socks. He took a deep breath before pulling aside the wooden sliding door.

“Hey” Shikamaru’s face smiled up at Neji. “Am I too early?”

Neji immediately relaxed, feeling a lot less nervous upon seeing Shikamaru’s smile. “I’m glad you made it.”

The young Nara started after observing Neji’s yukata. “Ah, I seem to be a bit underdressed...”

“Not at all, this is what I usually wear at home” he stepped aside to allow the young Nara access into his home.

Shikamaru pulled off his sandals and stepped into the room. His eyes widened at the size of Neji’s living space, and then at the nikujaga sitting at the small table with a setting for two. At the sight of the food, he suddenly remembered what he held in his hand.

“I er...brought something” he lifted up the container wrapped in the kerchief for Neji to see. “Its uh, venison from my farm” he mumbled.

“Really?” Neji’s brow furrowed at Shikamaru’s strange behavior. “Is there something wrong with it?”

Shikamaru brushed past Neji to plop down in front of the table with the wrapped venison placed in front of him. “No, there’s nothing wrong. The meat’s not even stringy coming from a deer his age.” The last few words sounded a little choked. Neji sat beside Shikamaru, who looked away to avoid his gaze.

“Was this stag special to you?”

“You could say that” Shikamaru nodded slightly. “Ever since I was little, I could always expect to see Hana-chan when I came home from school or a mission. The pasture was were Hana-chan and I would meet. I would stare up at the clouds while Hana-chan would graze nearby, guarding me. He was really special, I’ve never known another deer like him.” Shikamaru sighed heavily and scratched his head. “Its stupid-I’m stupid for letting it get to me like this.”

“I hardly think it ‘stupid’.” Neji rose to his feet and gently took the container from the table and cradled it in his arms. “Come with me” he offered, beckoning towards the door.

With a bit of hesitation, Shikamaru followed Neji towards the door leading outside. “W-what’re you planning to do?”

Neji slid the door opened and paused for a moment, then turned around with a warm smile on his face. “To make funeral for Hana-chan. He was an important friend of yours, and deserves a proper burial, don’t you think?”

Shikamaru smiled, both relieved and touched by Neji’s suggestion. “Yeah, I would like that.”

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Shikamaru decided to bury Hana’s remains under a cherry blossom tree in the Hyuuga family garden. The two shinobi remained quiet during the entire process, with Shikamaru lost in his memories of his lost friend. Neji had brought incense for the occasion, which were lit to close the burial process.

“Its funny,” Shikamaru said quietly “But somehow I’ve always expected Hana-chan to be in the fields waiting for me” he closed his eyes. “After the war, we’ve lost so much, and so many people. So much has changed since then.” He opened his eyes to glance at Neji. “My family’s farm was one of the few places in Konoha that was untouched by the war. It was a place frozen in time before anything bad happened. It was my sanctuary.”

The young Nara clansman sighed. “But now that Hana’s gone...I feel like I’ve lost the last bit of my childhood.”

“We’ve all lost a great deal of our innocence.” Neji replied quietly, thinking back to his own failure at protecting his fallen teammate Tenten. “We can’t let our loss weigh us down for future happiness. I doubt our fallen friends would want us to do so. It is best to honor them by focusing on a brighter future for yourself.”

“Yeah.” Shikamaru leaned against the Hyuuga for support as they watched the incense smoke waft into the fading sky. “Thanks, Neji.”

The Hyuuga nuzzled his companion’s head. “Anytime.”

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Shikamaru sat on the garden bench and watched the last of the incense stick burn down to the bare wood. Neji had left to grab something from his kitchen, and had left his companion to wait behind in the garden. Over the stone walls, he could just barely see the faint glow of the sunset saturating the cloudy sky. It was pretty, as far as early autumn sunsets go.

Currently, the young Nara was deep in thought at what Neji had said during Hana’s funeral, and was contemplating his own future as part of the ANBU squadron. He had worked hard during the last few years to reach the ANBU ranks, and was very proud of his accomplishments. But ever since he had befriended Neji, he began to question continuing a career devoted to such highly dangerous and intense operations. Shikamaru was an easygoing person at heart, but he still felt an intense need to protect Konoha to the best of his abilities. Was ANBU really the only way for him to contribute to Konoha’s protection? Might there be another brighter path for himself, and could Neji be involved in that future?

“Here.” Neji’s arm sneaked around Shikamaru’s shoulder to offer him a small ice cream cone.

Shikamaru jumped at the sudden interruption of his thoughts. “Ah, thanks.” Had he been so preoccupied that he did not notice Neji’s presence? Perhaps Neji’s sneak skills were just a bit better than his own.

Neji smiled as the young Nara clansman took the proffered dessert. “You looked so peaceful watching the sky, I didn’t want to disturb you too soon.”

“You needn’t have bothered, I was just thinking about things.” Shikamaru took a tentative lick of his frozen treat, then smiled. “I haven’t had green tea flavored ice cream since I was a kid. I’d forgotten how good it is.”

“It’s my favorite,” said Neji as he took a small bite from his own cone. “I also like red azuki bean flavor as well.”

“Mm. Azuki ice cream is good too.”

They ate their desserts in silence for several minutes, enjoying the dwindling sunset and each other’s company. Neji scooted closer to Shikamaru. The evening was getting colder.

“Its going to take at least forty minutes to heat up the nikujaga.” Neji stated, breaking the silence before popping the last bit of his waffle cone into his mouth.

“Heh heh...yeah, sorry about that.” Shikamaru scratched his head. “You seemed to have put a lot of effort into it.”

Neji waved his hand and smiled. “Please, don’t worry about it. It’s just a meal.”

“Alright.” Shikamaru conceded. “I promise to eat it later.”

They fell into silence again, with Shikamaru working on his treat while Neji picked at a loose thread in his sleeve. The young Hyuuga seemed to be working up his nerve to say something. “Since it’s starting to get so late, and uh, since we haven’t had our, err...meal yet, I was actually thinking–no, I was uh, wanting to ask you something.”

Shikamaru looked up from his half-eaten cone and gave Neji a strange look. He had never seen Neji act nervous and fidget before (for it was a rare occurrence in itself) and couldn’t help but stare when the young Hyuuga’s cheeks began to turn red with embarrassment.

“Curse it all!” Neji spat when he noticed that his face was blushing. With a determined glare aimed at the grinning Nara, he managed to grind out what he wanted to say. “If you’d like, you’re welcome to stay the night.”

“Oh.” Shikamaru replied, his eyes still wide at Neji’s unusual behavior.

“Oh?” Neji began to look crestfallen at the unenthusiastic response.

“No! I mean, yes! I would love to Neji.”

The young Huyuuga’s brow wrinkled with worry. “I don’t want you to feel pressured into doing so.”

Shikamaru grinned. “You should know me well enough by now to know that I’d not one to be easily pressured. Unless of course, your bed isn’t comfortable for two. Comfortable beds are a high priority for me.”

“I assure you, it’s very comfortable” Neji chuckled. “And with plenty of room to spare.”

“In that case, I think I might stay...” Shikamaru dipped his tongue into the remains of his cone to lap up the last bit of the melting ice cream. “As long as you promise to give me more desserts later.”

Neji’s eye twitched at the Shikamaru’s display. “Tease” he muttered under his breath.

Shikamaru’s heard the remark, and shot the Hyuuga a playful grin. “That I am.” Before Neji could react, he spun around on his heel to walk back towards his host’s quarters.

‘Wow.’ Neji felt goose bumps crawl up his arms as he watched Shikamaru walk away, the image of the Nara’s flicking ice cream tipped tongue replayed though his head, as well as the not-so-subtle innuendo.

This was going to be an interesting night.

TBC

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*Hana is Japanese for ‘flower’, and is generally a female name.