Freedom and Happiness of the Caged Bird

The Mate

"Shikamaru, come with me to the park." Naruto said walking in Shikamaru's room, Shikamaru sighed and Naruto smiled.

"Why are we going to the park?" Shikamaru asked and Naruto folded his arms.

"I need fresh air, damn I love you Nara's but I can't stay in this house." Naruto said and Kurama was heard.

"STOP CURSING NARUTO." Naruto smiled.

"SORRY MOTHER." Naruto replied and Shikamaru chuckled.

"Kurama didn't make a move yet?" Naruto chuckled.

"He said it because we are home a lot, so let's cloud watch at the park, I'll find us a secluded spot." Shikamaru agreed.

The now twelve and thirteen year old were getting ready for the academy in a few days, Kurama was approved to live there, and was considered to be Naruto's uncle, he stayed at the Nara clan because Shikaku was the one he needed to be with but the lazy man was either blind or not over his divorce.

Naruto and Kurama hates Shikamaru's mother, she declaring that Kurama turned Shikaku gay, and that Naruto was nothing but a demon, in front of them, and if Naruto didn't love Shikamaru like a brother, he would've killed the woman. However since he loves and cherishes the Nara's he wouldn't dare hurt them.

Shikamaru didn't know how much he would actually love Naruto, as a brother of course. He always felt the need to be so protective since he was older and Naruto was cute, and obviously attracted to the same sex, Shikamaru always walked a few steps behind Naruto when they left on just their own.

He trained with Kurama and made his senses sharper than before so he could hear and sense like an Inuzuka, nothing along the lines of Naruto since he still has a few traits of the fox left.

Naruto pulled Shikamaru to a clearing right behind the park and they both laid down and watched the clouds, Shikamaru sighed and Naruto felt relief when he felt the wind through his longer hair, and the grass tickling his exposed legs, he finally felt relaxed enough to dose off.

That always happened, he needed to feel a connection to the earth, and when he did, he was always relaxed. Shikamaru and Naruto were about to sleep when somebody was heard walking into their clearing and Shikamaru groaned.

"Why are you two just laying in the grass? That's dirty." The boy said and Shikamaru snorted.

" Great thing we have these inventions called showers at home." Shikamaru answered and the boy snorted.

"Heathens." Naruto looked at the boy, long raven hair and lavender eyes, there was a seal on his forehead and Naruto remember learning this with Kurama.

The Hyūga clan had a branch family, and every member of the branch family was responsible for saving a member of the main family, and insolence was punishment in the form of the seal, it was a sad life, no freedom and Naruto understood what that meant in this village.

"You come to insult us? Or to hide away?" Naruto asked closing his eyes again waiting for his brother and this boy to stop glaring at one another.

"Why do you care?" The Hyūga asked and Naruto sighed and Shikamaru scoffed.

"He was being nice, don't insult my brother." Shikamaru said and the boy looked between the two, they didn't look anything alike, and he was certain the blonde was an orphan.

"He was adopted, now if you are going to sit here and insult my brother you can leave." Shikamaru said laying back down and closing his eyes, before he heard the Hyūga scoff.

"You both look like you are more than brothers." Naruto sat up, his eyes twinkling, curiosity rising, and he looked the boy in his eyes.

"Somebody jealous?" Naruto said and the Hyūga looked at those blue eyes, he felt himself want to drown in those eyes, before he looked away before being sucked into those oceanic calm eyes, forever.