The shadow princess

Chapter 19

[Nara Shizuka P.O.V.]

I turn my head toward the wind and close my eyes as I let the wind breeze in my face and through my hair. My knees and elbows are scraped, my hands are dirty. But it was a productive team training. It's been a while since we've had one of those. I'm sitting on one of the three training logs, Kaiyo is crouched down on the other and Hisato is standing in front of us while Genma is leaning against the log in the middle. "So, marriage huh?" As I look down on him. "Yeah" he says, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He just told us he was getting married to Hana in a couple of weeks. "Maybe I can call you niisan instead of sensei one day" I say, teasingly as I tuck my hair behind my ear. "I'll kill you if you do" Genma says, but he smiles amused. "I never saw you as the type to be settling down" Hisato says as he places a hand on his hip. "Neither did I kid" Genma says. "You knocked her up didn't you?" Kaiyo says suddenly. "Boy get down from there" Genma says, as he pushes himself from the log and reaches his hand to grab Kaiyo's ankle. Hisato and I laugh as Kaiyo jumps to the other and back as Genma tries to grab him but obviously doesn't try his best. "You did didn't you?!" Kaiyo says playfully. "It's none of your business" Genma says. "So Tsume-san made you huh?" I say playfully. Genma places his hands on his hips before looking at me. "That woman drove her own husband away and raised her two kids alone, alongside five dogs. You think she makes a guy marry her daughter just because she's pregnant?"  He says. "Yeah it makes no sense" I say, chuckling. "Can't you spoiled brats be happy for me?" He asks looking at us three. "I'm happy for you, and for Hana too" I say. "As are we" Kaiyo says. "We'll buy you the best wedding gift ever" Hisato says. Genma chuckles. "Thank you...idiots" he says softly.

I lay my head on my fathers leg, while Shikamaru has his head on his other. "You're definitely twins" he says, chuckling. "Both an ear infection. How do you do it huh? Been swimming?" He asks. "Mendokusai" Shikamaru says. "Just put the drops Oyaji" he adds. Father chuckles again. Shikamaru hisses slightly as father puts the drops in his ear. I don't move a muscle as he does the same to me. But we both stay laying down. "You know...you've always been a quiet baby...you almost never cried. Worried your mother sick" father says as he strokes through my hair. "Which is why we called you Shizuka" he says. "You were a lazy baby. You started crawling when your sister started walking. You both gave your mother such worries. But you where just fast" he pokes my cheek. "And you just didn't want to bother" Shikamaru sighs and father chuckles again before he sighs. "And look at you now huh" he says softly. "Fifteen years old and chunin" he strokes through my hair again. "And so smart" he adds. "You're getting sentimental again Oyaji" Shikamaru says. "Hmm am I?" I gaze over to him and he smiles. As if we have one thought both Shikamaru and I sit back up. But we stay seated next to him. I gaze over to Shikamaru who gazes over to our father with an eyebrow arched. He looks at me and I shrug. "Don't start thinking I'm crazy now, you two" father says, chuckling again. "How can I start when it's something I always thought?" Shikamaru says. Father shoves him and Shikamaru laughs. "You're awfully quiet" father says looking at me. "Nothing" I say surprised. Father and Shikamaru grin at each other. "No no" I say. "No no don't start that" I say. I start running away and they both start coming after me. "Kaasan" I shout. "Okaasan help" I shout. Shikamaru tackles me and they both start tickling me. "Stop it" I say laughing. "You can never bother and now you're helping me" I say protecting myself from Shikamaru's hand. "I just feel like it" he says.

I decided to go with Shikamaru and Chōji today. Didn't really feel like getting bored, and with no mission and no internship at the hokage's office or with my father I had nothing else to do. Chōji is a good guy, even though he's always eating. He's always been very sweet to me. But that's maybe because I'm the twin sister of Shikamaru. They both lay down in a grass field and look up at the sky. I sit down next to them and follow their gaze. "So this is what you do on your day off?" I ask. "Sometimes" Shikamaru says. I pull some grass from the ground and let it go in the wind. "You want some?" Chōji holds the bag of chips in front of me. "Thank you" I say as I take a few chips. "Is everything okay between you and Kiba again?" Chōji asks. "Yeah it is" I say, looking up at the clouds. Then I look at Chōji beside me and smile. "We had a little fight, but we're okay now. Thank you for asking Chōji" I say. Chōji smiles back. "I'm glad" he says. I look at Shikamaru and he yawns. "I'm just glad you're both not hurting anymore" he says. "It was kind of terrible" Chōji says. "Why?" I ask. "You're my twin sister, Kiba is my friend" Shikamaru says as he looks at me. "And the hurt was visible on both your faces" Chōji adds. "And you both wanted to ask how the other was but didn't" Shikamaru says. "It was tiring really" he adds. "You're tiring" I say slightly annoyed. "Probably" Shikamaru chuckles. "Don't hurt each other anymore and dump that shit on me" he adds. I scoff and turn my gaze back at the sky. "I won't" I mumble.