painted future

chapter 2

"why?"

by the time shikadai had opened his mouth, shinki had already gone away. shikadai sighted and gave inojin a sign to follow him. the boys get to kitchen and sit by the kitchen table having no idea whats to come.

"shikadai..."

gaara started. he really had the talent to flip the mood upside down with just a single word.

"would you like to come with me in the village of the sand?"

shikadai looked at his uncle with terror and excitement. he himself had never visited the sand village and would more than gladly visit it.

"w-why?"

shikamaru asked also shocked.

"im sorry if this is too sudden but i had a important conversation with temari earlier."

*earlier*

"you said you had something you wanted to talk about?"

temari said taking a small purple colored mug from the cabinet and filling it with hot water she put a jasmin flavored tea bag in it. gaaras favourite. she walked in the room where gaara was sitting and placed the cup in front of the kazekage and sat down herself.

"thank you temari and yes i had"

gaara said his fingers playing with the mug handle like it was a stress toy finally getting a good hold of it and taking a good sip of the tea. licking his lips gaara said:

"its about shikadai... i would gladly take him to the sand village for a while."

"why?"

temari asked as gaara placed the cup down on its orginal place. gaara knew temari would ask that and had prepared an answer for her.

"well its about the future kazekage. you see orginaly shinki would be the kazekage and yes he will be but in case he doesn't plan on having any sort of kids, shikadai has to be ready taking the throne of kazekage after shinki is ready to give up on it"

"isnt this little too early to be thinking stuff like that?"

temari said showing a slight worry on his face. gaara nodded as an underestantement of the older ones concern.

"i understand your opinion and concern but time goes by fast and this may be the only time im able to show him around and i really don't mind spending time with my nephew and kankuro would be happy to see him too"

temari nodded. gaara had once again convinced his big sister. he took a sip of his drink as shikadai opened the front door.

"im home"

*present*

gaara explained the whole kazekage situation to shikamaru and shikadai and even shinki couldn't help but be suprised.

"and ive heard that if it wasn't for shikamaru to choose he would be a great hokage so in my opinion if it ever came to the point where shikadai has to be the kazekage he would handle it very well"

"i see.."

shikamaru said putting his index finger on his chin thinking hard about the future of his son.

"im glad you think my son would be fit to be carrying the name of the kazekage but i still think he should be able to choose his future himself."

shikamaru said and now all the eyes where on shikadai who himself was looking at inojin trying to come up with an answer.

"this is all a big drag"

all the older ones sight knowing that shikadai would say that. shikadai nods at inojin and inojin nods back not clearly knowing why.

"i would like to come if inojin can too-"

temari looked at shikadai but before she could say anything gaara opened his mouth.

"inojin?"

gaara guestioned now having his eyes locked on the blond pre-teen analyzing this.

"isn't it little too much?"

temari asked but gaara would more than happily take inojin too.

"temari, inojin is shikadais friend? and you know what i think about friendships?"

temari nodded he knew what gaara meant. the kazekage couldn't make any friends when he was younger so he thought that those were extremely important to a growing child. temari sighted.

"what about inojin and his parents?"

"i can ask."

inojin quickly said and got a nod from the two sand siblings as a return. gaara glanced around the room trying to find a clock. he did find and came up with a time they would be leaving.

"we will leave tomorrow evening so you should be ready by then."

he looked at inojin with a quite serious look and this only nodded.

"well this is now clear that you will come with me and inojin if its ok to his parents so i think were done here"

the two young boys nod before leaving the dining area and heading to the front door to walk together to inojins place.

"we will go now"

shikadai yells and temari nodded.

"just come home before it gets too dark"

shikadai closes the door behind inhaling the fresh late evening air. he looked at inojin who seemed overly nervous about going in the village of the sand.

"i-inojin are you.. huh?!"

inojin gave a tight hug to shikadai quite happy about the fact that this had thought about him. shikadai smiled at the touch that inojin gave him and decided to hug this back. finally inojin let go and the boys start to walk to inojins house.