The Calm Before The Storm

Underneath the underneath

Everyone's gathered over two tables at the yakiniku place and eating happily. Naruto had sat next to Sai and he was already making fun of something Naruto had said. Shikamaru was feeling moderately annoyed because Naruto hadn't sat next to him even though there had been an untaken seat and to add insult to injury he wasn't even looking at Shikamaru's direction. For some reason Naruto was clearly avoiding any kind of eye-contact with him. It made Shikamaru stare all that much harder at the blond.

"Shikamaru?"

"Hm. What?" Shikamaru turns to look at Neji who was watching him curiously.

"You seem to be in a bad mood. Is something the matter?"

Shikamaru felt a bit embarrassed that his annoyance was apparently completely obvious. He isn't really friends with Neji, or maybe just more that they don't usually talk to each other much, so he's rather surprised he even asked to be honest. Neji wasn't exactly the type of person to get involved in other people's affairs.

"It's nothing." Shikamaru insists.

"Hmm. Does it have something to do with Naruto?" Neji astutely asks.

"Na-Naruto? No, it's..." Shikamaru sighed. "Honestly, I don't even really know why I'm feeling so anxious," he confessed.

"Did something happen between you two?"

Well something did that's for sure. What it was that had happened Shikamaru hadn't yet entirely figured out. "No, not really." Shikamaru said not really wanting to talk about it with Neji.

"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it", Neji guessed right. "I just hope it's nothing serious since I'd hate to see Naruto get hurt", he said with a restrained threat in his voice to those who might want to harm Naruto be it Shikamaru or someone else.

Shikamaru is mildly surprised at Neji's protectiveness. If anything it's probably me who's going to get hurt, Shikamaru thought. He still faintly remembered how Neji had been before his fight with Naruto at the Chuunin exams and realized maybe it wasn't so strange for Neji to really care about Naruto. Even though he knew Neji most probably wasn't actually in love with Naruto or anything it still, ridiculously Shikamaru thought, only managed to irk him more especially when Naruto still hadn't even looked at his way.

"I would never do anything to intentionally hurt Naruto." Shikamaru said sincerely, voice low and serious, which actually made Neji pause for a moment.

"I'm glad. I know I'll always be thankful for Naruto and I wish all the best for him. It seems you care about him too so I think it's good you're living together now. I must say though I was a bit surprised the other day when you stood up for Naruto but I know it must have meant a lot to him", Neji smiled at Shikamaru. Then he turned his head to the side and looked at something in the distance and continued, "He saved me and I can't ever pay him back..."

"That's... You know, Naruto certainly doesn't think about it like that."

"I know. He doesn't even realize how many people he's saved and he never expects anything in return. Naruto is like a guiding light for the people he's saved and for others who want to follow him. He's truly an amazing person in my opinion. Always helping others with no regard for himself. And that is why I think it would be good if he had someone to look after him too", Neji looked at Shika meaningfully.

Shikamaru didn't know what to say to that so he just kept quiet. Naturally his thoughts begun to revolve around Naruto again which had been the case more often than not lately. He thinks about all those people Neji had alluded to. He thinks about Gaara who had been a complete mess living only to kill others and to prove his existence who had become the Kazekage. He thinks about Neji who had been obsessed with the fate of the head family and the other side who was now free of his shackles. Or even Hinata who was trying so hard to prove herself and her worth who was now a respected kunoichi of the Hyuuga clan. And he knew there were many, many, others Naruto had saved not just from death but from fates even worse than that. Naruto was so strong and everyone could see that.