The truth

Chapter 19

Shikamaru was going to be honest.

He hated Sasuke with a burning passion.

It's not his fault, he's just naturally protective of Naruto and always has been.

Naruto grew up an Omega in the red-light district, he's seen some things, heard even more and almost been put or even pushed into situations he did not want to be in because Alpha's who want to get their rocks off are pushy.

Naruto was nine when he moved in with the Nara clan without Hiruzen finding out and Shikamaru was the one to ensure it happened.

It had been decided that Naruto would move in because Shikamaru had almost killed a guy for trying to pull Naruto into his lap, this was before he presented.

The biggest problem they had was with Hiruzen who tried saying they had no right to take Naruto and that in the event they did not return him to his old rundown apartment, he would charge them with Kidnapping.

It was in the face of this threat, the very idea that he would have to go back to the red-light district, that Naruto presented, in front of the majority of the Nara clan, as an Omega.

Terrified, panicked and on the verge of a major panic attack and it was like a switch flipped in every Alpha Nara's mind.

The Omega's crowded Naruto as the Alpha's converged on Hiruzen as a unit with the intent to kill the old man.

At this point in time Naruto had been spending so much time with them that they had subconsciously adopted him into their family, the blonde had been around for everything, and he kept the little ones entertained, kept the clan head on his toes and he was a delight to be around. Naruto had been a part of the Nara clan for all of six months when Hiruzen came knocking.

Hiruzen, sadly, escaped the Nara compound with his clothes all bloody, his body full of bruises and a large gash, from claws, on his side.

Naruto was then whisked away and taken to the Nara Forest where the other Omega's were quick to scent him so that he would calm down enough.

It took two whole hours for Naruto to breath normally.

While that was happening the Nara Elders, the Clan head, who is Shikaku, his heir, who was Shikamaru, and the other Nara Alpha's had gathered to discuss the new situation they found themselves in.

There was no talk of kicking him out, no mention that he would need to leave. The biggest problem was, did Shikaku have everything he needed to take care of a newly presented Omega who had no kin and practically no scent of his own.

The thing is when children are born, they take on a mixture of their parent's scents. It's why for the first two to three months it is customary to have only the parents and close family, the type that you'd see every day, either visiting or living with you.

Naruto grew up in an orphanage. He wasn't held or cradled long enough to get a hold of another's scent. His milk and honey scent clung to him up until nine. Children presenting needed those scents because otherwise their presentation could kill them.

The high body temperature, your body forcibly changing itself as fast as possible, the pain and not to forget that during this time you lose weight and dehydrate faster. It's why orphaned pups usually get taken in as quick as possible because nobody would wish that kind of death on anyone.

The biggest question asked that day, the one question that hit Shikamaru straight in the chest and knocked his wind out was, "In the events that Naruto dies are you going to be willing to hold him until the end? Will you be able to ensure he's not alone? Or would you prefer we send someone else in to do it?"

One of the elders had asked that.

It was shortly after that, that Shikamaru stormed out of the room and made his way straight to Naruto.

The other Omega's had moved him into the room he had been using for the past couple of months.

His mother was wringing her hands and the other Omega's around her doing the same. They had no idea on what to do.

Naruto wasn't their pup, and their scents could harm him if they tried.

Shikamaru stepped forward and went to open the door when Yoshino, his worried and terrified mother, grabbed his hand.

"Shikamaru...."

"I don't want him to be alone. He shouldn't be alone." He said and Yoshino's eyes softened

"My boy you are a child. You shouldn't do this. Seeing someone going through a pain like that, seeing someone hurt like that. It will scar you like you've never been scared."

Shikamaru looked at the doorknob and heard the quiet sniffles from behind it and made up his mind.

"He's, my brother. I have to take care of him," he said as he delicately removed his mother's hand and pushed it into her chest.

He smiled at her before opening the door and slipping into the room.

Naruto was laying in the fetus position on the bed, gripping his stomach, panting and heaving while sweating buckets.

Shikamaru turned on the fan, the lowest setting just to make sure Naruto didn't pull a blanket over him and die of heat stroke and then he crawled onto the bed, slowly, because Naruto hated fast movements when he was confused.

Shikamaru had wrapped his arms around Naruto and let his scent free. He held him tight and wouldn't let go.

It took an entire week; normal presentations took one maybe two days of Naruto being in pain and overheating. There was a moment on the third day where he stopped moving, Shikamaru thought it was over that Naruto had finally finished presenting.

Only to find that Naruto stopped breathing as well.

He panicked and shook the blonde, tears in his eyes and hands shaking but he was begging, begging Naruto to not die, because he needed Naruto.

Naruto's heart jump started a few seconds later and the blonde just started crying uncontrollable while Shikamaru held him, crying just as hard.

Shikamaru was dead tired after that week and so was Naruto, but Yoshino refused to let them sleep. They needed to eat and drink a lot of water because even if they did get water in it wasn't enough.

Shikamaru had presented as an Alpha at age ten and his presentation took a day.

The only thing that changed was that now Shikamaru was more protective of Naruto.

After Naruto's presentation it had happened that Shikamaru became Naruto's shadow, so afraid the blonde would drop dead because the Omega had been physically week for two entire months after his presentation. 

So, week he couldn't walk for more than an hour before he needed to sit down and rest otherwise, he'd lose all strength and fall over.

Naruto was part of Shikamaru's pack and as the youngest Omega he was more protected and Shikamaru, the lazy genius who would rather sleep than fight, would become outright violent to protect Naruto.

He thought Naruto would remain his baby brother forever, because that is what Naruto will always be to Shikamaru, his baby brother.

The boy who loved to read.
The boy who collected bracelets like trophies.
The boy who could eat a horse and still have room left.
The boy whose smile lit up an entire room.
The boy with unmatched strength and battle strategy.
The boy he held all those years ago and begged to not leave him.
The boy he begged to not die.

He hates Sasuke for taking his brother because Naruto will always be his little brother. No matter how many times Sasuke gets him pregnant. No matter where Sasuke marks him.

Naruto was his little brother first. Shikamaru was the first to protect him and the first to love him unconditionally because when you loved Naruto, platonically, romantically or familial, you did it with full chest and nothing less.

~*****~
...to be continued...
Hope you enjoyed it
Love, hugs and kisses
~danxieXo~