A scarred heart [Shikamaru love story]

It's a trap?

"Now tell me Meiko. How much did Shibuki tell you about your 'mission'?" Tsunade looked at the girl, awaiting her answer. Meiko scratched her head and looked at her feet.
"Well, Shibuki just told me to come here since I have a mission in Konoha. He also mentioned that he didn't know how long this mission would take, or when I could go home again." Tsunade took her tea-cup from her office and took a small sip. "So he didn't say anything about the mission himself. Damn that Shibuki!"
Tsunade took a step closer to Meiko and looked her into her eyes. "Too be honest, Meiko." She laid her hand on Meiko's shoulder.
"Your mission is not a mission."

Meiko didn't answer. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened did the Godaime mean? And what did Shibuki knew about this? What's going on?
Meiko felt lost. She can't give an answer because she can't understand the situation that she is in. "What's going on?"
Tsunade tapped the tip of her feet on the ground, her arms crossed before her body."Meiko! Are you even listening?"

Meiko quickly snapped out of it, shaking her head softly, her hands on her hips. "Yea- but- mission- Shibuki- but- what?"
Her heart started beating fast, Meiko tries to calm down. Finally she managed to speak a full sentence, without stuttering.
"I'm not sure what you are trying to tell me ma'am. Shibuki told me to come here for a mission.."
Her hands were behind her back, the hands holding each of her arms together. Meiko started pinching her own arm, focusing on that.
"Relax Meiko, get it together. There is nothing wrong. Calm down." She took a deep breath. "So why is my mission not a mission?"

"Meiko, do you know that you have family that live in this village? To be more precise, your grandfather lives here in Konoha.
He has been writing letters to you, asking for you to visit him. But after a few months of utter silence, he came to ask me about your whereabouts."
Tsunade took a pause here, taking another sip of her tea. "As you may or probably may not know, your grandfather is ill Meiko.
The nurses, nor medic ninjas know how long your grandfather still has left. That is why I asked Shibuki for you to come here.
To grant your grandfathers last wish most likely."

Meiko started to think about the past. She don't recall that much. Her parents, who were shinobis just like her, died on a mission when Meiko was just a little baby.
That is how she knew they were shinobis, since her grandfather only told her they went on a mission and never came back.
Meiko suddenly remembered her grandfather, Eiji Atsushi. He took care of her ever since her parents died.
The moments they used to share were precious to Meiko. He taught her about the village, and the past Hokages.
She adored her grandfather. That was until she was old enough to enter the Academy.

Ever since Meiko was a little girl she dreamed of being a shinobi. Every time she saw someone passing in town, a grin came to her face.
Every single person who was a shinobi were heroes to her. Heroes that protected her, Eiji-Ojiisan, and everybody else in the village.
Just like her parents did. So when she was finally old enough to enter the Academy, she asked her grandfather to bring her.
And that was the moment her young dreams shattered. Eiji refused to let Meiko enter the Academy. He even forbade her to become a shinobi.
Saying things that everybody who is a shinobi or who wants to become one are fools, destined to die.

And on that evening, after the conversation with her grandfather about her dream, Meiko ran away.
That was the last time she saw him, or anyone in the village.

Tsunade tapped her feet on the ground, breaking the silence. Meiko snapped out of her thoughts.
"Meiko Atsushi, I know this comes all of a sudden to you, but it is important to your grandfather. You are his granddaughter, and also the last living person from the Atsushi family. Please take care of your grandfather until further notice. You are dismissed!"
Meiko just nodded and left without saying anything to the hokage.

She took a deep breath when she was outside. How long has it been since Meiko left her hometown she wondered.
Do her friends still remember her? Well, friends might be abit too much said. Her only friends were two boys, with who she watched clouds and ate chips. Funny, how she remembers those little facts, but can't seem to figure out how they looked like or how they were called.
Those were great days. But they wouldn't remember her. Why would they? She just left them behind with only a note saying she was never coming back.
Birds flying by got her attention towards the sky. It was getting late, and if there is something her Eiji-Ojiisan doesn't like, then it is late visitors.
"I better get going, I wonder how grandpa looks like now. " Meiko putted her arms behind her neck and started walking a familiar way out of town.
The Atsushi house was at the outskirts of the town. Enjoying the peaceful walk towards her old home, she saw a familiar face laying down on a field.

"Hey Pineapple boy! What are you doing out here?"
The raven haired boy turned over, an annoyed look on his face. "The name is Shikamaru, and I was enjoying my clouds. Until you came around."
Shikamaru stood up and popped his back. "Anyways I can ask you the same thing Meiko. What brings you here?"
Meiko stepped a few steps further, looking up at the sky. "There are some nice clouds today. I'm heading towards a relative."
She turned her face to his and smiled. "I'll try to remember your name, Shikamaru. See ya!"
And with that Meiko headed off again.

"Meiko, I wonder if you still remember me, just like I still remember you." Shikamaru puts his hands in his pockets, and walked home.

After the dreadful way home (even though his house wasn't far from the field) he sneaked in to his room, trying to avoid another lecture by his scary mom and his dad just sitting there. Quietly he closed the door of his room behind him and waited until the coast was clear. Relieved, he walked towards his bed, stopping on his way there at the drawer of his desk. Hidding under books, was this small, yellow looking enveloppe. He took it in his hands and continued walking to his bed, falling into it on his back. A small smile appeared when he looked at the front of the enveloppe:

"Shiki-Baka! Please read this lettr!"

"Im sorry Shikamaru, but I am going to leave this villege.
And i won't come back until I am shinobi like you and Chooji-nii chan.
Wait for me!
Hugssies, Meiko"

Shikamaru putted the letter back into the enveloppe after reading, slightly amused. "Meiko, you really couldn't write back then."
He sighed, the amusement didn't last long. His grip on the piece of paper tightened. "Why did you forget about us... Meiko.. "