“Hey, Shikadai!” He went to stand beside his son. “We might have dodged a war, but the Land of Flowers has got the world’s attention now. We can assume all kinds of creepers are going to come out of the woodwork. The risk of the daimyo being attacked isn’t zero. Don’t let your guard down.”
“I know.”
Shikamaru had thought he would protest, but his son simply nodded in agreement. He was momentarily stunned at this docility, but made sure to maintain his composure so that no one would notice. He turned to Moegi. “The Anbu’ll be accompanying you too, yeah?”
“Like, of course.” A black shadow danced down next to Moegi.
It was a figure with a cat mask.
“Oh, so it’s you, Hinoko.”
“Gah! L-like, don’t call me by my name in front of everyone!”
“Stop it,” the monkey mask said, standing next to the cat.
“You’re here too?” Shikamaru asked.
“The daimyo of the Land of Flowers is one of the principal actors in the continental summit,” Ro declared. “It has been determined that two teams and eight people shall attend to him at this time.”
“My eyes’re, like, practically rolling out of my head at the thought of having to listen to more low-quality puns on the road again,” Hinoko grumbled.
“Well, don’t say that.” Shikamaru smiled at her. “Other than those puns, Ro’s a good ninja.”
“L-Lord Shikamaru!” the older man protested. “What is the meaning of that?! Other than those puns?! Those puns themselves are the very essence of my being! No puns, no life!”
“So then quit being a ninja.”
“That’s, like, exactly right.”
“Ngah! Who would punish a—”
Hinoko cut him off. “There’s, like, a limit to how bad they can be.”
“You weren’t actually about to say ‘punish a pun,’ were you?” Shikamaru frowned doubtfully.
“It is strictly forbidden to ask, Lord Shikamaru!” The monkey threw his head back in indignation.
“Uh, um.” Moegi shrugged apologetically.
Shikamaru popped his thumb up and pointed at the two Anbu. “However they look, these two have solid skills.”
“What d’you mean, like, however we look?”
“Keep an eye on my son.” Shikamaru told Moegi, ignoring Hinoko.
“Understood.” Moegi nodded her head slightly.
“So, like, back to the mission,” Hinoko said, and she and Ro bent at the knee for a jump.
Shikamaru remembered there was something he had to tell the two of them before they disappeared. “You both were a huge help again. Thanks.”
“Do not hesitate to call upon us again in the future with any possible missions.”
“We just, like, did what we had to.”
The monkey and the cat disappeared into thin air.
“Shikadai,” he called out to his son, who was talking with his comrades. “You don’t know what’s going to happen, but you know your own abilities. If you think the situation’s too much for you, pull back. That’s also a critical ninja skill.” Shikamaru wasn’t talking down to his son here. If the boy rushed things and tried to do more than his abilities would allow for, his comrades would get hurt.
“I know,” Shikadai replied, pursing his lips.
“Yeah? Okay, good luck out there then.”
“It’s a drag, but I’ll go.” His son grinned at him, but that easy smile told Shikamaru that Shikadai said the word drag in full understanding of what Shikamaru had told him the other day. “I’ll be back in two or three days. Try not to fight with Mom while I’m gone.”
“Shut up, you.” Grinning, Shikamaru waved a hand at his son and then returned to Naruto and the daimyo.
Everyone who passed Shikamaru on the road stared at him.
This is embarrassing.
Red-faced, he hurried home. He had never once before walked along this street carrying something so over the top. As much as he tried, he couldn’t ignore all the looks he was getting. But he had chosen this, so he couldn’t complain. Even so, this was a bit much.
If he’d just bought the flowers at Ino’s shop that time, it wouldn’t have come to this—which reminded him, what had happened to those flowers? He figured Ino had probably sold them to someone else, but either way, he had done wrong by Ino. He’d have to apologize to her.
“That damned Naruto,” he cursed, as he hid his face in the burden that filled his arms too full.
In that case, take home all the yellow ones!
It was only because of how kindhearted he was. Shikamaru knew that. Naruto hadn’t meant anything bad. He really did know that. But he was so embarrassed at the moment, he could die.
His house came into view at last and his pace quickened.
Just a little farther.
He opened the front door and almost tumbled inside the house.
“You’re home!” Temari came down the hallway to greet him, and her eyes grew wide when she saw him. “What is all this about?”
“Oh, uh.” Still standing in the entryway, he looked away from her. “W-we sort of ended up helping the Land of Flowers a little, and so as thanks, the daimyo gave us a whole bunch of flowers. There were loads and loads, so I took a few.”
“Only the yellow ones?” She looked at him doubtfully.
Shikamaru’s arms were so full of yellow flowers, he could barely hold onto them all. In among the many different varieties, there also happened to be a certain flower that bloomed only in Sunagakure.
“You told me to make up for the anniversary thing, didn’t you?”
Temari stared at him with serious eyes.
He held his breath, held the flowers, wondering if he’d offended her. Did she hate the idea of him making it up to her with secondhand flowers?
“Shikamaru.”
“Y-yes?” Sensing an ominous aura, he waited for Temari to continue.
“Are you happy right now?”
“Hm?” He didn’t really understand the question. He’d been utterly certain she would tear him to pieces, so this unexpected turn threw him for a loop.
“What do you think about life with us?” she pressed.
And now he realized what Temari was actually getting at. “Heh!” He laughed without meaning to.
Temari furrowed her brow angrily, her lips drawn tight.
“What do you think, looking at all this?” Still smiling, he held the flowers in his arms up toward her.
“Don’t answer a question with a question.” His wife glared at him.
“Thank you for everything.”
“Ah!” For a moment, a gentle light shined in her eyes. She shook her head. Her hair, the same color as the flowers in full bloom, swung back and forth, and when she lifted her face again, her eyes had gone hard once again. “Shikamaru! Before you went to the Land of Iron, you left your shirt lying on the floor in your room! By the time I noticed it, it was about to stand up and walk away! I’m always telling you to put your laundry in the basket. How many times do I have to say it before you remember?!”
“S-sorry.” A cold sweat sprang up on his forehead. “Um…”
“What?”
“Could you do something with these flowers?”
“Here.” Temari opened her arms and leaned forward.
He handed over all of the yellow blossoms. “I’m sorry.” He bowed his head neatly to his wife.
“Honestly.” With a heavy sigh, Temari turned around and started to walk toward the kitchen. But she stopped after a few steps. Her back still turned to him, she said, “Thanks.”
“S-sure thing,” he replied.
His wife moved on brisk feet and disappeared into the kitchen.
Shikamaru took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He sat on the step up into the house and pulled his shoes off. He had to remember to put his laundry in the laundry basket. Family was such a drag.
But…
“It’s not too shabby.”
The life Shikamaru wanted to protect was right here in front of him.