A week's time

Yoshino Nara

"Yoshino!" Shikaku called out, lazy to search for his wife.

A woman wearing an apron with her hair tied up came out from the kitchen. She smiled gently as soon as she saw Naru, "Who is your little friend Shikamaru?" Feeling happy that her son brought a friend back.

"Introduce yourself." Shikamaru said gently as he tugged Naru forward, but his hand never left hers. It was her reassurance that she wouldn't be alone to face all the difficulties she would be facing as she grew up. It warmed Shikaku's and Yoshino's heart at the concern and care Shikamaru was showing her.

Before Naru could greet, Shikamaru turned her body to face his mother so she wouldn't greet the wall. Naru blushed in shame and mentally blamed Kurama for ditching her at this important moment in time.

"My name is Naru Uzumaki! It's a pleasure to meet you Mr and Mrs Nara!" She greeted with a shaky smile. Shikaku felt his heart blood drip from his mouth as he felt like he owed her too much.

'If you want my son, I'll even give him to you free of charge!' Shikaku thought as he cried internally, not minding that he had just sold his son to Naru.

"Good job." Shikamaru petted her head with a hint of pride in his voice.

From the little hints that she picked up from Naru's unnatural behaviour, Yoshino who was as observant as Shikamaru realised that she was blind. But she didn't look down on her disability.

"Yes." Naru said looking up with determination, she wasn't going to cower at the truth for the rest of her life. She was going to be a ninja and this was the first obstacle she had to overcome. She herself know full well that she has to face others with a brave face while accepting that she is truly blind. She couldn't cower behind someone for the rest of her life because then she wouldn't even graduate.

"Ah and Naru is a girl." Shikaku said, while Yoshino suddenly kept quiet thinking deeply to herself. She stared at Naruto for a long while before nodding her head in satisfaction at what? The boys didn't know, "Come on Naru, let's get you washed up." She took Naruto's smaller hand in hers as she separated Shikamaru and Naruto.

"Ah." Naruto's hand unconsciously reached out for Shikamaru's shirt in panic and she held tightly on it. Shikaku merely laughed while Yoshino simply cooed while Naru panicked.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru yawned as he moved not making any moves to remove her hand, "Come on Naruto."

----

"Well aren't you a cute little girl." Yoshino smiled brightly as she washed Naru's hair watching her squint her eyes in contentment.

"Naru chan, don't be shy, if there's anything you need help in you could always come to me or Shikamaru." She said gently, scrubbing her hair equally gentle.

Naru sighed in contentment. She kind of felt jealous at other kids, did other kids mothers does this for their child too? She laments that she didn't have a mother to do that for her but Shikamaru's mother really gave her a touch of motherly love.

"Let's get you dressed." Yoshino said as she took Shikamaru's old clothes and fitted Naru in. Yoshino squealed as she pinched her whisker marked cheeks, "We'll get you some girl clothes and I'm going to doll you up! I have always wanted a daughter unlike the uncute Shikamaru that I gave birth to!"

Naru smiled brightly as Yoshino helped her dry her hair, managing her hair for her which made her hair softer than she ever felt. It was like silk and it didn't spike up, which made Naru wonder why it didn't. She patted her head of flat hair again and again finding entertainment in her hair.

----

While his mother was cleaning Naruto up, he sat down outside the room and closed his eyes. What exactly did he get himself into this time? Taking in Naruto was like taking in another child, more expenses and more trouble. Not to mention she was going to depend on him big time. What was he going to do then?

Another sigh escaped his mouth as he scratched his head. He was in a dilemma, he couldn't send her away not when she already planted her self deep into their hearts especially his father's. He didn't had anything against Naru living with them but he was more concerned about her wanting to be a ninja.

Even though he had repeatedly told her of the short comings she wouldn't back her stand of being a ninja. He didn't have the heart to keep putting her down either. He had a bad feeling that one day, her tears would be a extreme weapon against him.

Having a blind ninja with him meant that he needed to help her train and helping her train meant that he had to train more too. While that was great news to others, he was kind of missing his free time spent lazying away...Sigh he was already feeling the effects of having to move too much.

Not to mention they had school tomorrow and he was sure she was going to wear both the Nara crest and the Uzumaki crest since they had unofficially adopted her and well, his clothes were the only clothes she could wear for now. They would get her more clothes later.

He wondered if their appearance together would get attention, he bet that no one in their class would have expected her to be blind or to be a girl. It was pretty suspicious that up till now no one realised something was off about her. She could have passed off as boy since she hadn't grown up yet and with her spiky blonde hair it seems like she was a guy without his growth spurt. But he was unsettled that no one cared enough to question her gigantic change in personality.

At least she wasn't noisy...

He sighed once again.

"Mou Shikamaru, you sound like an old man with all that sighs." Shikamaru opened his eyes to see his mother in front of him, tugging Naruto forward.

After cleaning up, Naru's hair appeared longer from being clean and damp. Her hair reached to her ears and they weren't spiking up like usual, her lightly tanned skin was flushed from the hot water and a small smile was etched on her face. With new clothes she seemed more like a girl now, taking a closer look at her heart shaped face and long lashes, not to mention her lips, he couldn't understand how everyone and him managed to not see that she was a girl.

He could guess why she was excited and happy, it was probably her first warm bath and that idea made him feel a little sympathetic.

"Yeah Yeah." He groaned and stood up as if standing up was extremely energy tasking.

"Look at Naru chan, isn't she cute?" Yoshino beamed while Naru blushed at the comment a small smile crept on her face.

He simply nodded and looked away, the tips of his ears a little red, just a little.

After dinner, Shikamaru brought Naru into a guest room to stay in for the night. However Naru didn't get a wink of sleep, she couldn't sleep even if she wanted to. The bed was soft which was good, the windows were locked and she felt warm under the blankets yet she couldn't go to sleep.

She wanted to find Shikamaru to seek comfort in but she knew she had bothered him enough for today. She couldn't make too much trouble for him because she would be a burden and she would then depend to much on him.

The reason why she couldn't sleep was the fact that she had seen the events of today a dream. A dream she wished would never end. But like all dreams, they had to end and when she wakes up the next day she would find herself in her apartment, living like a walking corpse. What was worse was that she probably wouldn't remember anything, because like all dreams they are fleeting and no one remembers the memories from dreams.

The thought of it sickened her to the stomach, she heaved as if she was going to puke. She didn't want to sleep, she didn't want to wake up the next day in her cold broken apartment where there wasn't a speck of warmth, no food, no warm bathes, no love and no one to accompany her. She didn't want to wake up like usual, go to school and be left alone like she had never met Shikamaru and go back to pretending nothing happened in that week's time.

-----

A/N:

Naru sounds adorable if I must say so o('∀｀*)

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