Waiting and Feeling (Naruto X Hinata)
Chapter 3: Loneliness

"Give him to me Naruto. Let me carry it."

"No want! You see for yourself, no, Shikadai is glad I carried her. Is that so little Nara?"

"Cha... Chaaaa..." The 4-month-old toddler was mangosteen as if agreeing with Naruto's words.

"Law... You are indeed a good son of dattebayo" Naruto smiled, then he rubbed the top of Shikadai's head to make the child laugh while moving his hands agilely.

Shikamaru clucked his throat.he settled himself on the sofa that was to the right of Naruto. He is very jealous. The reason, Shikadai who work only sleep is always suddenly agile every time Naruto comes to their home.

"You're angry Shikamaru?" Naruto asked with a laugh - laughter swung Shikadai in his carrier.

"I miss my son Naruto. It's been a whole day I've seen you, why just 2 hours I've been quiet at home have to see you again?"

"We-sama... You are so stingy dattebayo. You can joke every day with Shikadai."

"You're wrong Naruto." Temari, who was none other than the mistress in the house interrupted their conversation.

He came from the kitchen carrying 3 cups of warm ocha and a plate of mochi in a large wooden tray in his hand.

"Drink first Naruto" he said as he placed the cup before Naruto.

"Neee.... Arigatou, Temari."

Temari simply replied with a smile and then she immediately sat down on her husband's side.

"You know Naruto, that Shikadai would rather sleep than play with his brain."

"really?"

"Hmmm..." Temari nodded his head.

"Haha... It's unexpected that you also get karma huh, Mr. Idler"

Temari laughed and Shikamaru snorted, raising the tip of his lips slightly. The man recalled the incident where Ino scolded Naruto. Like a karma from the past, just like him.

"How are you Naruto?. Shikadai was very small the last time you came here."

"I can't say everything's okay with you, because you're the wife of my advisor. This lazy guy must have told me a lot about the mess I made, right?"

"Yes... That's it." Temari smiled understandably.

"If you remember again, why never crossed my shadow, that the weight of my struggle to become Hokage turned out to be nothing compared to being Hokage itself."

"Mendocokusai..." Shikamaru laughs.

"It's been almost a year since I became Hokage. But I can only continue the system that Kakashi Sensei has created. There's absolutely no big change I can make."

"It's Naruto. Do not be too heavy to think about things like that. It used to take Kakashi-sama a few years to stand up well."

"Rightly what Shikamaru said, Naruto. What is important now is that everything can run regularly first. Over time you'll also find your own changes."

Naruto forced his lips to smile. Uncomfortable talking about work outside the office, Naruto eventually switched the conversation to Shikadai.

"Oh yeah, is Shikadai allowed to have tea?"

"Naruto, he's only 4 months old. Still too small to eat or drink other than breast milk"

"Oohs... Too bad Shikadai." Naruto pinches his petite nose squash Shikadai.

Naruto took the cup. Drink it a little because he is less free with the hands of Shikadai who has been trying to snatch the cup.

Naruto was really worried that the hot ocha would spill over and hit Shikadai, because really, he also loved the boy very much.

"I remember Shikadai was a baby. It seems to be getting more and more agile now."

"Yes... Are you a naruto?. You can give it to me." Temari stretched out both hands to take Shikadai from Naruto's lap.

"No." Naruto smiled "I'm happy with him, Temari. He can already lift his own head, so I am more free to carry him. He also responds when we ask him to joke yes, making me even more anxious."

Shikamaru smile. Of course he knew that Naruto liked children very much.

Before becoming a Hokage, Naruto had been a part-time teacher at the academy. It was very visible Naruto's soul who loved children very much.

"Naruto, tomorrow there is a meeting with the daimyo that we must attend. Shouldn't you go home and rest?"

"I wanted to be like that too. But my house is so deserted dattebayo. I can't sleep."

"Huh... If you had a wife, you would always be looking forward to bed."

"Woooaah's... Really true?" Naruto grinned pervertedly and Temari pinched Shikamaru's waist which laughed out loud.

Naruto drank his ochanya back "Maybe that's why Kakashi Sensei hurriedly kicked me out when I visited his house."

"Of course, they're newlyweds. You're a real rioter, Naruto."

Naruto laughed, and so did the girls.

"Hmmm.... I love the house of Iruka Sensei. But ever since the youngest Tenshi, he's never been seen wanting to kick me out. Oh yeah, I'll add Sai to my list soon too."

Temari pentapal - pingkal. Imagining Ino yelling - yelling angrily but Naruto just grinned at him.

"Did you go to Sakura's house often?" temari asked as she rubbed her watery eyes.

"No."

"Why?"

Naruto smiled wryly.

How could I possibly be able to do that?. I was so jealous to see him with Sasuke and so hated myself that I couldn't have him.

"Sasuke isn't cool ttebayo. He did not hesitate to activate his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan before my eyes."

Temari looked up at Naruto's silly face. Even Shikadai who did not know what - what also laughed so cheerfully.

"Hey.... Do you think we're entertaining you, little Nara?". Naruto kissed Shikadai's cheek with anxiety to make the toddler laugh loudly because of amused.

Naruto again drank his ocha which was already warmer. And Shikadai just kept grabbing the cup.

"Don't little Nara, I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

But Shikadai still continued to reach for the ocha cup even though Naruto had put it back on the table.

"Give this to him Naruto." Shiakmaru whipped out his ocha cup.

Naruto received a cup whose contents were not even half that.

"But..."

"Give me a little. He'll be fine"

Naruto glanced at Temari who showed a sullen face at her husband.

"You sure...?"

"Hiks.. Hicks.."

"He'll cry Naruto soon."

Finally hesitantly - doubted Naruto lent the ocha to Shikadai.

gluc.gluc...gluc...

Naruto pulled the cup from Shikadai's mouth as he seemed to have stopped gulping.

However, the baby who did not even have teeth bit his cup.

"Hey. Look I can't pull it." Naruto laughing. "He was really strong enough to bite her."

Shikamaru smiled proudly. "He'll be a determined Shinobi."

"Sure..." Naruto rubbed Shikadai's forehead which now began to gulp back "You are a Nara."

gluc.gluc...gluc...

"Well..." Shikadai stared at Naruto's face and displayed his grin, making Naruto even more anxious about him.

"You're feeling good about Shikadai?". Naruto rubbed the boy's head.

"Huaaam..." Shikadai yawned and rubbed his face on Naruto's chest.

Very briefly, Shikadai began to close his eyes. Temari tried to take Shikadai, but the baby thrashed, refusing to leave Naruto's embrace.

"Let Temari. Later if he was really asleep" he said while patting Shikadai's back.

"I'm sorry Naruto. So trouble you"

"No, I'm glad I did."

"Naruto, you seem to be a good fit to be a father. Don't you, honey?" Temari is looking for support.

"Hm... That's right."

"When are you going to marry Naruto?. Family is fun. Especially if you already have children, you will no longer feel lonely."

Naruto just smiled thinly then lowered his face while patting Shikadai's back.

Shikamaru understood clearly, how pinching Naruto's heart was.

Can Naruto think of marriage for himself, whereas his heart is so captivated by his love for sakura that he has now become the wife of Uchiha Sasuke. Her best friend.