Anime One Shots

Naruto - Shikamaru

The Trouble with Love

It was the beginning of the end. You knew it, Shikamaru knew it, but neither wanted to talk about it. Your relationship was already in a rocky place, and the last conversation you had with him, was a breaking point. You understood pretty well that as the Hokage's Chief Aide, he had a lot of responsibilities, but it was turning into something else by now.

"Y/N." Ino greeted you at her store. You nodded back and smiled at her. You didn't need to ask how much she knew, considering how close she was to Shikamaru, by now she should know that you were no longer leaving with him. "Would you want the same flower as always?" She asked, still not able to find the words.

"Not this time." You answered. The silence was killing you, so you decided to go straight to business and brought your jacket that had the Nara clan, the one he gave you when you accepted to move to Konoha for him. "Can you do me the favor of giving this to him?"

"No!" She gasped, "I can't do that" You can't do that! Y/N! Does Shikamaru know? He doesn't! Why?" Ino was freaking out, you tried to remain as calm as possible.

"My brother has requested me for family issues," You lied. Yes, Gaara asked you to go back and take a break, but only after you shared with him everything that had been happening, not for any family issues, "This is not going to be useful for a while and I won't need it in Suna."

Ino took the jacket, "I never took you for a liar." She accused you, "You know what leaving this behind means and you know what Shikamaru would think." She took your hand, "I know he's been missing and failing you for a while, I'm not defending him, but this is too much. You know how much he loves you."

You smiled bitterly, "Do I?" She tried to argue back, but you didn't let her, "I understand that he has a lot of responsibilities and how important he is, and how needed he is, Ino. But I am not needed here anymore. This place is not for me. I came only to be with him, and I'm not with him anymore. So, what is the point?" You pushed the jacket back, "Please, just give him this once I'm gone. And wait until I'm out of the village."

There was nothing else she could say to you; you had made your mind. Before leaving, you bought a bouquet that you left at the Nara manor, for Shikamaru's mother and one for his father, at the graveyard. And taking only your clothes, you left the village you thought would be your home for the rest of your life.

That night, very late at night, Shikamaru got to his apartment, the one he shared with you, when he saw Ino and Choji standing there, holding you jacket. He knew it, he ran inside only to find that you were not there anymore. "I'm really sorry, Shikamaru." He didn't say anything, he knew this was all his doing. Kakashi told him so many times that he was neglecting you, but he always dismissed the comments and now he was paying the price.

It didn't take you long to get to Suna, where your siblings where all waiting for you. The three of them comforted you, but life kept going, or so you thought.

The truth was that you were even worse that you thought. Once the first day back hit you, you couldn't stand from you bed. You were supposed to marry this man, he was the love of your life.

On your second night, Kankuro came running to your room. "He is here." You ran with him to the common are of the house you shared with your brothers, and Temari was waiting on the entrance, while Gaara sat beside Shikamaru. The moment he saw you, he stood from the sit, but stopped at his tracks, should he hug you? Say hi? What would you expect?

Gaara asked his other siblings to leave the room so you could have some privacy together, "What are you doing here?" You said, no intention to sound harsh, you genuinely wanted to know.

"I wanted to see you." He admitted, "Well, not only that. I know this is going to sound dumb, and you will probably say that I'm just saying it because you left, but I don't want to lose you." You peaked behind him to find a lot of bags from him.

"What are those?" You asked.

He took your hands. "I quit. I can live here if that is what you want, but I don't want to be away from you."

"You can't leave Konoha! That is the dumbest thing you've ever said!" You were shocked, no way. He was important, he was needed.

"I don't care about it. I can, if it means losing you." He breathed, "Look, Y/N. I failed you; I should've given you your place. I asked you to move in with me. Leave your village and marry me, only to neglect your feelings. I know my job is important, it is, but you are far more important. And yes, I'm trying to create a world for my friend to be the Hokage, but all of this to have a safe place, a safe world for my family, my family with you to live in." Tears were falling down your cheek, "I love you, Y/N. And even when I know how troublesome love is, I wouldn't have it any other way. So, if you take me, I plan on staying here with you."

"No." You said immediately, he was taken aback, but you kept going, "I can't let you do that, Shika. I love you for all that you are. I don't want you to change, not a bit, what you do, what you are, all of it made me fall in love with you. It's just that, I don't fit in that life of yours. And it's so wonderful, I don't want it to change." He kept cleaning your tears away.

"I am willing to do anything to keep you by my side. Ultimately that is what I want for me. You are the troublesome woman I feel in love with me, that made me drop everything and come running to Suna to get her back. You think I am mad for that? Not in the slightest. I'm just worried that I will lose you. Let me stay with you, please."

You couldn't take it anymore. You hugged him tightly, "No." He was about to argue, but you didn't let him, "I will go back with you. To our life in Konoha. God knows that village will completely shatter into pieces if you are not there."

He hugged you even tighter, "Are you sure?" You nodded, "I swear to you, life is going to change for us." You couldn't stay away, you missed him. He was good to you; it was just complicated sometimes, and you were just adjusting to this new life. "Can we? Let's just stay the night here and then, we can get back tomorrow. Is that ok? I just want to hold you."

After a talk with your siblings and many apologies, you stayed together that night, only to get back home the very next morning, back to your life together, to never look back to your problems and finally start a new life.