After The Last

Chapter 11

"The Spell"

6 months later...

"Shikamaru!" Naruto shouted at Shikamaru upon seeing him hurriedly walking towards the Hokage's Office.

"Naruto, what's up?" He responded.

"Wait, you seem so busy." He commented.

"Well, kinda." He replied.

"What have you been doing though?" He asked Shikamaru.

"I... hmm... I would like to tell the Sixth that I'll be leaving the village for a while." Shikamaru answered.

"Hmm. Why? What's going on?" He confusedly asked.

"I just want to visit the Sand." He replied.

"Wait, did something happen to Gaara?" He worriedly asked.

"Okay, calm down Naruto. It's not like that, you know." He answered him with a boring look.

"So why visit the Sand all of a sudden." He seriously asked.

"It's something personal." He quickly replied.

"Aheeee! Is that something related between you and Temari?" He teased him.

Shikamaru slightly blushed at his statement.

"I know now. So it's about Temari then." He concluded.

"Naruto..." he spoke softly, quite louder than a whisper. His face was serious.

"Yeah, what?" He said while pouting.

"Did you ever think of settling down?" Shikamaru muttered.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked while lines furrowing on his forehead.

"Well, like asking Hinata to be your wife." He straightforwardly said. Naruto was wonderstruck. Shikamaru's words were still processing in his head.

"Asking Hinata to be my...what?!!" He screamed.

"Are you serious, Shikamaru? I am just 19, I don't know anything about marriage!" He shouted at Shikamaru.

"Will you stop shouting like an idiot? We are just inches away from each other." Shikamaru scolded him.

"Wait..." Naruto murmured while holding his chin and acting like he was thinking about something.

"What?" Shikamaru asked in a bored tone.

"I am meaning to say that, you are going to ask Temari to marry you? Is that really it, Shikamaru?" He asked while his eyes were wide open.

"Ahh.. Well, how do I put it on phrase...?" Shikamaru murmured.

"Hey, Shikamaru! Are you okay?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. Well, kind of asking her for a bite first before that part takes place." Shikamaru explained.

Naruto stared at him for seconds then he looked down.

"Eee... what's wrong?" Shikamaru wondered.

"Do you think it's time for me to ask Hinata about marriage?" He confusedly asked.

"Idiot! Marriage is not something you can decide without thinking about it a hundred times. Marriage is a drag but, that's what being an adult means and the future we must protect." Shikamaru said.

"The future we must protect..." Naruto repeated.

"Yeah..." Shikamaru replied.

"What do you mean?" He was confused.