Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Sober ❯ Shikara ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter Nine: Shikara
"You're doing so well," Tsunade said with a smile. Ino panted as Shikamaru wiped her forehead for her. "Push again," Tsunade told her.
Shikamaru became so curious. "Hey!" Ino snapped as he left her hand and looked from Tsunade's view.
"Awsome," Shikamaru mumbled. Tsunade giggled lightly. "Ino, this is so weird. I wish you could see it."
She glared at him, "no, I think feeling it is more than enough."
Shikamaru winced, "it looks so painful..."
Ino snapped, "what's it look like?"
"This is why we have pain killers," Tsunade told him.
Shikamaru smirked, "I have to hand it to you females, this looks pretty hard to do."
Ino twitched as she pushed again on Tsunade's command. He was enjoying seeing this? How? Ino bit her lip as the big Nara head and its cursive body was out. She relaxed, "thank God!"
Tsunade cut the cord and patted the baby's bottom, making it cry. Shikamaru hovered over the woman's shoulder. She finally stopped wiping off the birth blood and handed it to him. "Here."
He took his child gingerly and stared at it. "Well?" Ino panted.
He blinked, "oh." He glanced down and looked at his lover, "a girl."
Ino held her arms out, "let me see her."
He stepped to her side and lowered the baby into her arms. She smiled at the unconscious child. She frowned, "Tsunade, why did she fall asleep so quick?"
The hokage smiled, "I'm sure she's fine. I'll check her out while you're in recovery."
Shikamaru kissed the little girl's head. Ino kissed him, "what are we going to name her?"
He shrugged, "we never discussed that. I assumed you had one picked out."
She kissed her baby, "Shikara..."
He lowered his eyes, "pretty. I like it."
"I'll take her now," Tsunade said, lifting the baby from the tired Ino. "You'll see her when you wake up."
Shikamaru kissed Ino again, "I'll see you later, too."
"Love you," she murmured.
"Love you, Ino," he said quietly, walking out of the delivery room before two nurses tended to her. Shikamaru walked into the waiting room to see his and Ino's parents, Choji and his parents, and Sakura with Lee. He sighed as they all asked the same questions over and over. "It's a girl," he told them in annoyance.
Yoshino hugged him tightly, "I'm so proud of you."
"Are you sure it wasn't a boy?" Shikaku asked. "Guess you'll just have to try again for him."
Shikamaru glared at him, "stop it! I'm glad it was a girl, and don't worry. We'll have a boy, too. Just takes a little time is all."
Shikaku looked at Choza and Inoichi, "betcha twenty that they have all girls." He laughed, pointing to Inoichi, "like you!"
"Shut up!" everyone snapped at him.
"Troublesome," he huffed.
Sakura smiled, "if you see Ino before me, tell her that I'm sorry for being so mean to her, okay?"
Shikamaru nodded, "okay."
"When do we get to see the new youthful Nara?" Lee asked excitedly.
Shikamaru sighed, "I don't know."
"What did you name her?" Mrs. Yamanaka asked.
"Ino named her Shikara," he answered.
"What a wonderful name," Mrs. Akamichi said.
"I helped her pick it out," Mrs. Yamanaka said with an Ino smirk.
Tsunade rushed in, "Shikamaru, I have to talk with you." Her voice was so stern and frightful.
He frowned, walking through the doors with her. She looked stressed, too stressed. "What?" he snapped. "Is it Ino? Is she okay?"
Tsunade shook her head, "no, it's Shikara. I had a nurse tend to her while I came to tell you."
"Tell me what?" he demanded worriedly.
She sighed sadly, "her temperature sky-rocketed. She is very ill, and..."
Shikamaru's eyes widened, "...and?"
She frowned, "I'm sorry, but we're going to have to assume the worst. Ill babies die after birth often, and it-"
"D-Die?" he breathed. He shook his head, "no, she can't. She hasn't been exposed to any germs or anything. She can't be that sick! She was born not ten minutes ago!"
"These things happen," she said desperately. "I'm sorry it's your baby to be one of the unlucky ones, but..."
"Ino was healthy!" he cried. "You said Ino was healthy!"
"She was. Shikara was not!" she told him quickly.
He wavered a bit as tears ran down face. "Go fix her!"
"I can't do that, Shikamaru, and you know it."
"Fix her!" he screamed angrily. "Do it for Ino at least. Go!"
She held her hands up to catch him as he looked faint. "I'll try, okay?" she mumbled.
"She'll be okay-" he thought before blacking out.
Tsunade caught him and laid him on the floor, "Choji, somebody! Come get him!" With that, she rushed to the ICU to help the baby.
Choji and Shikaku rushed through the door and supported the unconscious Shikamaru to the waiting room. Everyone looked at his teary face worriedly. Yoshino sat by him and rested his head on her shoulder, wiping his tears soothingly. She kissed his forehead, "this is terrible."
"Do you really think the baby is that sick?" Choji asked worriedly. Everyone had heard the conversation concerning the child.
"I hope not," Mrs. Akamichi said quietly.
Shikaku frowned, "I hope Ino has a stronger sanity, because Shikamaru isn't made for this."
Yoshino nodded, "Shikamaru is so emotionally weak."
Choji teared up, and Sakura hugged Lee sadly. They happy evening had plummeted to hell.

Shikamaru opened his eyes slowly and sat up. He was in a hospital bed. They had put him in there out of pity. He realized Tsunade was beside him. He gazed at her with worrisome eyes. She hung her head and whispered, "I'm sorry." The shock was milder than the last blow. He nodded slowly, closing his eyes. She rubbed his back, "I'll tell Ino for you if you want."
He stood carefully and shook his head, "I'm her other half. I'll do it."
Tsunade led him to Ino's room silently and let him in.
He walked inside the white room and saw that she was angry. "Where have you been?" she asked. She frowned, "you've been asleep."
He rushed to the bed and fell into her, wrapping his arms around her smaller body. Tears rolled down his cheeks again as he sobbed into her shoulder.
"Shikamaru, you're scaring me," she said nervously.
"She's gone," he cried.
Her eyes widened, "who is gone?"
"Shikara," he answered sadly.
Her heart skipped a beat, "w-what?"
He looked at her, "I'm sorry for crying about it. You're the one who is suppose to cry on me....but..." He let her go completely and fell to his knees, sobbing.
She was paralyzed, "wh...who is gone?" She began to cry, too.
"She was sick," he cried. "She died all alone, Ino! You know what I did when I heard she was dying?!"
Ino shook her head, "wh-what?"
"I fainted," he said shamefully. He took out the pack of cigarrettes from his pocket and threw them, "I fainted! I'm a terrible father. I was a terrible father!"
She climbed out of bed and hugged him, "don't say that!" She looked around, "Tsunade-sama!"
"I'm sorry, Ino," he cried harder.
"Tsunade-sama!" she cried out again.
The hokage rushed in and frowned at the sight of Ino holding Shikamaru weakly. "Ino," Tsunade started quietly.
"Where is my baby?" Ino screamed. "Where is she?"
"Shikamaru told you, didn't he?" she asked.
Ino bit her lip, "where is my baby?!"
Shikamaru looked at her with tired, teary eyes, "I'm sober..." He choked out another sob, "I'm sober! I'm sober!"
Ino shook her head, "no...NO!" She hugged him tighter, "Tsunade, why?! Why didn't you help her?!"
Tsunade sighed, "I tried."
Ino screamed out of rage, and Shikamaru embraced her tighter. Tsunade decided to leave them alone. Ino screamed again and again onto him. "I loved her, Shikamaru!"
"I did, t-too," he cried.
"It's not fair! I jinx myself when I wanted to get rid of her," she cried harder.
He kissed her, "no, it's not your fault."
She clutched his shirt desperately, sobbing uncontrolably, "I'm a bad...bad mother!"
Shikamaru shook his head, kissing her shoulder, "you were a great mother...even if it was for less than an hour."
She loosened her grip on him and shook in his embrace. "I wish...none of this ever happened..."
He only hugged her in silence. What else could he say?

Ino was on her knees, her hands clasped before her. Her head was bowed slightly as tears streaked down her face faster. She bit on her lower lip until blood was drawn. She was closest to the fresh grave; her black attire caked with the tilted dirt. She often let out a loud sob but did her best to control it.
Shikamaru stood beside her silently. He didn't cry. He didn't want to cry for his child anymore. To really think about the situation, this was best. If Tsunade had saved his daughter, the kid would have been sick all her life. She would always be left behind and depressed. Ino would've had to retire from her life as a ninja and take care of her. And he would blame himself a little more...just a little. Besides, he and Ino simply weren't ready. Sure, he was willing to care for the baby, but he knew that it wouldn't be a good care. This made him a little more depressed...just a little.
His gaze averted to Ino. He could feel everyone staring at them. They were in front of the mourning ninja behind them afterall. He sighed silently. It wasn't a bored sigh, a tired one...he was mourning, too. Of course he was. What else would he do? He surely wasn't going to cry, but felt like it.
"Shikara, I'm sorry," Ino cried quietly.
Shikamaru got to his knees and hugged her. She cried onto his shoulder, gripping his arms. He shuddered from the anxiety, "I'm here, Ino."
"Can we stay longer?" she asked as she heard people in the background talking.
He hugged her a little tighter as he pulled her to stand, "we can stay for days if you want. I don't mind."
Shino and Kiba walked to them with Akamaru following. "We have to get going. We were suppose to be at the gates an hour ago," Kiba said solemly.
"It was a great service," Shino said quietly.
Ino smiled sadly, "thank you both for coming for us."
Kiba nodded with a weak grin. He patted Shikamaru's shoulder, "I caught a glimpse of her. She was pretty." He bit his lip, "I'll...see ya later."
Shikamaru nodded silently as they walked off with Akamaru whining behind.
Tenten and Neji walked up next. Ino pulled away from her lover to hug Tenten. "It was perfect, Ino," Tenten said with a sad smile.
Ino nodded, "thank you."
Neji took his chance to embrace Ino as Tenten finished. "We're all here for you two," he said.
"Thank you, Neji," Ino sniffled.
Tenten hugged Shikamaru tightly, "keep her sane, okay?"
He didn't respond as she smiled slightly again. Neji nodded, "see ya later, Shikamaru."
Then the students from Ino's class walked to them. "We still love you, Ino-sensei," a girl said.
Ino smiled, wiping her tears, "you all came..."
Shikamaru closed his eyes, not wanting to see another child again. His heart kept saying they're all taunting. They're taunting! Look how healthy they all are. Why- but his mind said They only want to show their sympathy. They're here for their sensei. They are innocent of taunts and pleasure to your expense. His eyes shot open as about a dozen of little arms wrapped around him.
The kids looked up at him with frowns. "We're sorry, Shikamaru-sensei," a boy said.
"We were wrong," a girl told him.
"We hope you'll teach us again," another said.
A boy smiled, "cause, you were kinda cool."
Shikamaru frowned, closing his eyes again. Ino lowered her eyes, "you understand; he's upset."
They all nodded, stepping away. "Hope you feel happy again," a girl said.
Ino smiled, "thank you all." She waved to them as they made their way out of the fence. She glanced at Shikamaru, "alot of people have alreadly left...." She frowned, seeing his look of distress, "Shikamaru?"
He shook his head, "I'm okay...sorry."
She teared up again as she looked at Shikara's polished headstone. "We're going to go, Ino," Sakura said.
Ino whirled around again to see Sakura, Lee, Naruto, and Hinata. "We thought you would want some time alone after such a hard day," Naruto said sympathetically.
Shikamaru again said nothing as Hinata gave him a smile, "stay strong."
Naruto couldn't take it and lunged into his friend. He shut his eyes tightly, "I'll be right here for you, Shikamaru! Believe it!"
Ino could see that Shikamaru was about to lose his cool. He was about to either hit someone or hit himself. She frowned for him while Sakura hugged her and said friendly statements.
"I'll come by and check on you two in a couple of days. I'll bring dinner one night," Lee offered.
Ino nodded, "that would be nice. Thanks."
Hinata smiled, "I'll help with anything you need, too. Just...just call me, okay?"
"We will. Thank you all for coming," Ino cried. She wiped her tears, "thank you."
Shikamaru noticed that only his mother and father, Ino's mother and father, Choji and his parents, and Kurenai with little Asuma Jr. still remained at a respectable distance. He turned to the grave and stared for the longest time.
Ino saw that he was shaking again. He didn't look too well either. She began to seriously worry, "Shikamaru?" He didn't say anything. She took his hand, "it's okay to let it all out... I won't judge you if you want to cry or-"
"Fuck!" he screamed, falling to his hands and knees. She gapsed. "Fuck!" he cried angrily. He clutched the dirt in his hands and screamed again to get it out of his system. He hit the ground with his fist roughly, over and over.
Ino knelt with him, "don't-"
He slammed his fist down one last time and cringed, "...ow."
"You okay?" she asked worriedly.
"Am I okay?" he asked lowly, staring at his bleeding hand. "We just buried our newborn, and you ask if I'm okay?"
She sobbed heavily again, "I don't know what else to do! I don't know what you want to hear!"
"I don't want you to say anything! I'm not asking anything!" he cried.
"Then I'll shut up!" she screamed, hugging herself.
He wiped his own tears with his sleeve, "it's not you." She reached for him again, but he screamed into his hands once more. It was long, high-pitched, and carried out. She would've never guessed that he could sound so scared and confused. Despite her oblivious ways, she knew that he truely hated this. He was truely sad.
She looked around to see Yoshino walking to them. She bit her lip, "Shikamaru-"
"I hear her," he whispered weakly.
Yoshino knelt behind them. "I love you both," she said in a soft voice. She hugged them with both of her hands on their shoulders and kissed Shikamaru's cheek, "I love you, son."
He closed his eyes and felt another hand rubbing his shoulder. He glanced to his side to see Shikaku smiling at him sadly. Choji was there, too. He put his hand on Shikamaru's upper arm, "love ya, Shikamaru."
Shikamaru lowered his eyes, "I know..."
Ino smiled as her father sat with them and kissed her forehead. Her mother did the same and sat by Inoichi. "Thank you," Ino murmured.
Shikamaru hid his face with his hand again and began to sob like Ino had done so many times. She put her hand on his free one.
Kurenai knelt behind Shikamaru and put her hand on his back, letting her tears drain freely. Little Asuma hugged his mother silently.
After about five minutes, Shikamaru finally choked out a whisper, "gotta stand up."
Ino frowned, "not yet. Let out all of your cries first. I want you to be stable before you get back on your feet."
And he closed his eyes again, letting the atmosphere settle. He could feel everyone's energy coating him and Ino, protecting them somehow. His expression softened as he sobbed a little calmer.
Ino did the same, holding his hand tighter. And it seemed the calmer the two became, the tighter their grip on each other became. It wasn't uncomfortable, it was their commitment. They realized this and looked at on another at the exact same time. Their eyes softened, knowing what the other thought. Ino smiled sadly, "I-"
Shikamaru kissed her gently, "I know..."